With The First Pick
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Patriots had a higher grade on WR N’Keal Harry in the 1st round

By Bryan Perez

TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver N'Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils catches a five yard touchdown pass against cornerback Ron Smith #17 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver N'Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils catches a five yard touchdown pass against cornerback Ron Smith #17 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Former Arizona State WR and Patriots first-round pick, N’Keal Harry, landed with an NFL team that valued him much higher than where he ended up getting drafted.

The New England Patriots have this winning thing down pat. It seems like no matter what play they call or what transaction they make, they always come out on top.

So why would the 2019 NFL Draft be any different?

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, New England was overjoyed when former Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry was still available at the end of the first round. He was ranked much higher on their draft board.

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Todd Graham, the former Sun Devils coach who recruited Harry, told Howe of a conversation he had with Patriots coach Bill Belichick shortly after the draft concluded. “Man, we were so fortunate he was still there,” Graham said Belichick told him.

Harry’s fit for the Patriots is pretty easy to identify. They need a big-bodied target to help offset the lost production of Rob Gronkowski, who announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this offseason. And while no one is expecting Harry to be Gronkowski-like, he certainly will bring the offense a high-flying red zone target who also has after-the-catch ability in the open field.

Harry finished the 2018 season with 73 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns. His numbers were down a bit from 2017 when he registered 82 catches for 1,142 yards and eight scores.

The Patriots will field a combination of Julian Edelman, Harry and a platoon of Philip Dorsett, Dontrelle Inman and a cast of unproven characters in the passing game in 2019. It’s going to be fascinating to watch, as it’s arguably the most questionable collection of skill players Tom Brady has had to play with since New England’s dynasty began.

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