N’Keal Harry adjusting to life as an NFL receiver
By Bryan Perez
New England Patriots rookie WR N’Keal Harry is learning that success in the NFL requires more than just time spent on the practice field.
The New England Patriots selected former Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft for several reasons. The most obvious of which is his natural talent as a playmaker after the catch, but they also targeted him as an ideal fit to fill the void left by TE Rob Gronkowski’s retirement.
To be fair, no one player can actually replace Gronk. He’s a potential Hall of Fame talent whose unique impact on the Patriots offense can’t be replaced. But Harry offers New England a similar big-bodied red zone target for QB Tom Brady, not to mention a box-out receiver who can move the chains and make plays downfield too.
But before Harry can make the kind of impact the Patriots are hoping for, he has to figure out what it means to be an NFL player. Talent alone isn’t enough. Success as a pro requires as much work off the field as it does on it. It takes a lot of time and the days are much longer than they were in the Pac 12.
“It’s super long,” Harry said Sunday of the typical day as an NFL player. “There’s a lot that goes into it. Coaches put a lot into it, making sure that we know what we’re doing when we get out on the field.
“This game of football is something that I truly love and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
Harry produced in a big way as a Sun Devil, recording 73 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. He had 213 catches for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
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He certainly has the right attitude and approach to make it as a pro, and there’s no better organization to nurture that mentality than the Patriots.