Jakobi Meyers (and Maurice Harris) was outperforming him during training camp, too. Does training camp not count as pre-season? I didn't say pre-season games.
It's reasonable to expect a first-round pick to step in and outperform a UDFA and a journeyman WR. In addition, Belichick picked a WR in the first round when the Patriots are notorious for drafting more WR busts than gems. Then, they went ahead and picked a guy who isn't good at getting separation.
I'm not saying N'Keal is already a bust, but I do think it is fair to say that it is slightly disappointing how N'Keal started his NFL career, especially compared to guys who had amazing starts like Terry McLaurin and Marquise Brown.
And where did I say it was going to stunt his development?