The 2019 New England Patriots season nearly is upon us, and there’s plenty of hype surrounding rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry — and rightfully so.
And as is the usual with all draft classes, projections for the newest group of rookies are flying around as training camp nears, and Pro Football Focus forecasted how the Pats’ 32nd overall pick might fare in his first season in the NFL. In fact, the projections have Harry shaping up to be a well-trusted target in Tom Brady’s arsenal.
Harry’s projected stat line from PFF includes:
- 83.4 targets
- 54.9 receptions
- 636 yards
- 4.3 touchdowns
And here’s what PFF had to say about the Patriots’ 2019 draft pick:
“N’Keal Harry was a big play waiting to happen and one of the draft class’ best contested-catch receivers at Arizona State. He recorded 61 explosive plays — gains of 15 or more yards — in his final two years with the Sun Devils, a mark that ranked tied for first with Buffalo’s Anthony Johnson among draft-eligible receivers. He’s also ranked sixth in two-year receiving grade (90.1) and first in contested-catch rate on passes of 10-plus air yards at 57.5%.
Great after the catch, an explosive receiving threat and worthwhile contested-catch guy, Harry has a ton of potential at the next level and very well could make some of the league’s worst signal-callers look good. Fortunately for him, he’ll have a future Hall of Famer in Tom Brady at the helm, a situation that should only drive up expectations for the 2019 first-rounder in Year 1.”
Considering Julian Edelman reportedly will miss time in training camp with a thumb injury, Harry could see more reps right off the bat. While Edelman’s injury isn’t expected to hinder him into the regular season, it’s safe to assume Harry’s role would increase if the 33-year-old could not go.
