New England Patriots: N’Keal Harry making early push for big role

N’Keal Harry is winning admirers in New England and is seemingly on track to earn a prominent role with the Patriots as a rookie.

The Patriots’ selection on N’Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft was one that raised plenty of eyebrows, as a prospect viewed by most as a day-two talent went to a team with a very spotty history of evaluating the wide receiver position.

But the early signs are that New England is pleased with the progress made by the former Arizona State star, who has had the chance to show off his versatility for the Patriots during OTAs.

Per Mike Reiss of ESPN, Harry has lined up at “multiple spots” in practice, while receiving reps as the first-team punt returner. The ex-Sun Devil is said to have drawn rave reviews from backup quarterback Brian Hoyer and was praised as a “smart” player by Bill Belichick.

Reiss added that Harry’s ability to snatch the ball out of the air with his large catch radius was notable. That is no surprise given his propensity for highlight reel grabs at Arizona State, where he also showed he could operate on the boundary and in the slot.

Harry being tried out as a returner also makes a great deal of sense. He returned 14 punts in college, with one going for a touchdown, and frequently displayed deceptively fast speed and the agility to make multiple defenders miss in the open field when asked to try to rack up yardage after the catch.

It’s early days but Harry appears to be making a good impression with New England and, by the look of pictures of posted on Tom Brady’s Twitter account, is already catching balls from the Pats’ starting quarterback.

Building a rapport with Brady, winning Belichick’s trust and displaying a willingness to do multiple jobs are all key to winning a prominent role with New England as a rookie, and the initial evidence suggests Harry is on the way to meeting all of those criteria and doing just that.