Why did the New England Patriots activate a practice squad wide receiver over 2019 first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry on Sunday? Because Kristian Wilkerson had earned that shot.
With Harry, who’d struggled one week earlier in a loss to the Buffalo Bills, sitting as a healthy scratch, Wilkerson enjoyed a breakout performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, catching two touchdown passes in a 50-10 Patriots rout at Gillette Stadium.
Wilkerson played 60 snaps on offense (83%) and four more on special teams in the first extended game action of his two-year NFL career. The 24-year-old entered Sunday with zero career regular season receptions.
Asked Monday why he chose to elevate Wilkerson from the practice squad and make Harry inactive, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick praised Wilkerson’s work on the practice field, where he typically simulates the opponent’s No. 1 receiver on the scout team.
“Wilk gave us some plays in the kicking game and offensively,” Belichick said. “He’s had a couple good weeks of practice and a good week this week. (We) felt like he had earned the opportunity, and he made a couple plays (Sunday) to help the team. It’s really kind of a week-to-week thing on who we activate and who’s at the game and who isn’t and so forth. … We’ll take it really day by day, but the decisions will be weekly.”
Wilkerson, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of FCS Southeast Missouri State, had three previous practice squad elevations, but he played just nine total offensive snaps across those and wasn’t targeted. Quarterback Mac Jones, who showed a strong connection with Wilkerson during the preseason, said Sunday’s game was “just a great example of someone being ready for their opportunity.”
Wilkerson finished with four catches on eight targets for 42 yards while filling in for injured starter Nelson Agholor (concussion).
“Kristian did a good job of preparing all year, as he has,” Belichick said. “Every week, he works hard in practice and has improved a lot, both offensively and in the kicking game, and he tried to take advantage of his opportunity (Sunday). That’s always a good thing — for players to get an opportunity and then be able to capitalize on it and show their teammates and the team that they can contribute. That’s kind of how it goes.”
It remains to be seen how Wilkerson’s emergence will impact Harry, but the latter could have a difficult time cracking the gameday roster moving forward.
