All-Time Patriots Draft Bust Released; Could NFL Career Be Over?

N’Keal Harry might need to start thinking about life after football.

We learned pretty early on that Harry was never going to live up to the expectations that come with being picked in the first round of the NFL draft. Harry, selected 32nd overall by the Patriots in 2019, showed very little promise as a rookie, even with all-world quarterback Tom Brady running the offense in New England.

The Arizona State product failed to make any progress in both his sophomore and junior seasons, which led to the Patriots trading the wideout to the Bears in July 2022. A change of scenery didn’t help the cause, as Harry played seven games with very little production in Chicago before he left for Minnesota in 2023 free agency.

By that point, Harry effectively was a lost cause at wide receiver, but the Vikings held out hope for the 6-foot-4 pass-catcher by experimenting with a position change. Moving to tight end didn’t turn things around for Harry, who was released by Kevin O’Connell and company Tuesday when NFL teams were forced to trim their rosters down to 53 players.

At this point, one has to wonder if Harry will receive another shot in the NFL. Yes, he doesn’t turn 27 years old until mid-December, but how much more evidence do franchises need? If teams are on the hunt for pass-catching help to round out depth charts, they seemingly would be more interested in young developmental projects and/or proven commodities who might have a little left in the tank.

Harry’s size and athleticism made him an intriguing prospect coming out of college. But the reality is he’s not cut out for the NFL.