Welcome To The Pats N'Keal Harry

[JPsPats]

The more and more I read up on this kid the more and more I’m loving the pick!!

 

[manxman2601]

I didn't have any WRs in the draft rated as tier 1 WRs, which is why the choice of taking Harry in round one is a minor puzzle. But, it's a position of need, and I'm happy BB took a WR in the first 3 picks, which is what I wanted (along with DL and TE if worthy options were/are available). Now I'm on to hoping for DE/TE/another WR, in no particular order, for the next 3 picks.

I’d be very happy with Zach Allen or Anthony Nelson tomorrow.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

 

[TheRainMaker]

I like the pick. Big bodied WR who dominates 50/50 balls, and plays like a power forward? Uh....yes please! Oh yeah and he can do this:

 

[JPsPats]

Can also return kicks, BB loves versatility. Especially since we lost Patterson as a kick returner.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Wow - Bill drafted for “need” rather than “value”. What is the world coming to?!

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Why Patriots’ N’Keal Harry is *my* favorite wide receiver in this draft

This is a great breakdown every Pat's fan should check it out.

 

[Todd Bradley]

Getting some Anquan Boldin vibes from his tape.

Wanted Metcalf, but if he’s just as good as Boldin was than this was an excellent pick.

 

[ausbacker]

Getting some Anquan Boldin vibes from his tape.

Wanted Metcalf, but if he’s just as good as Boldin was than this was an excellent pick.

I saw a little of young Demaryius Thomas and Marques Colston. Whoever you see, the tape and profiles read and look good. Let's hope the mental component and chemistry with Brady is there.

 

[Deus Irae]

Let's see if Brady invites him to some of the extracurricular throwing sessions.

 

[rochrist]

I didn't love Harry cause I have a WR philosophy which differs a lot from the kind of player Harry is. I prioritize separation and YAC over contested catches and powering through. Also it forces the QB to throw a bunch of dangerous balls which increases the likelihood of turnovers.

That's why I wasn't high on Harry and I'm still not overly high. That being said his production and measurables are pretty good and it's hard to argue with them and say he doesn't deserve to go in this general range.

While I worry about this limiting his upside the fact is hes pretty close to bust proof (not unlike Whiteside who plays a similar game). If you can make contested catches and run routes well you'll be productive at least to a reasonable level. As @reamer pointing out he's a very young player and he has a lot of room to improve. To justify this pick I think that's what you have to bank on. If he can get just a bit faster on the field and add that to everything else he can do then he might turn out to be a very good player.

I had him ranked lower than just about anyone else on this board did. Most had him within this kind of range and most think higher of him than I do. I just thought it be nice to give the other side of the take.

He's very good with YAC.

 

[manxman2601]

PFF don’t love but see him as a good possession receiver. He did have the highest grade on catches in the intermediate middle which is the Pats zone. He’ll get catches on the outside because of his contested catch ability, but he’ll be up against better corners. I don’t know if he’s an X receiver, but hopefully we’ll get Josh Gordon for that. I do like him as a slot and Z receiver we can manufacture touches for and get him open through scheme.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

1. Really?
2. So?

plenty of receivers on board all the way to Sunday..

But none of them had the same profile of Harry. He's the perfect blend of productivity, physical tools, football IQ, work ethic, age, market share, standout analytics, etc. He's going to be a day 1 fan favorite.

Looking at the data, and with what little I saw/heard of this player's college days, this seems to be a pick in the tradition of

Brandon LaFell
Brandon Lloyd
Malcolm Mitchell
Jabar Gaffney
David Givens


But that's what confuses me, because that's an OWR2 kind of player. BB's either seeing something most others are missing, or he went with a higher floor/lower ceiling kind of prospect. And, before people start jumping down my throat, let me note that, as I said several times during the year, I wasn't really following the college game for draft purposes. And I'm not complaining about the pick. I'm just trying to understand BB's logic behind choosing the particular player over other options at the same position.

Bed time for me, so I'll you a real reply tomorrow, but he's more like Juju Smith-Schuster than the above players. Big slot + motion receiver, with occasional snaps at X. I know you're not a big PFF fan, but this should still show some promise:

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Does he possess Cat like quickness?

 

[signbabybrady]

Does he possess Cat like quickness?

Rare quickness for a big cat.

 

[nabwong]

This is a C pick.








As in, C u later 31 other NFL teams. 19-0 baby!!!!!

 

[50-yard-line]

1. Really?
2. So?

plenty of receivers on board all the way to Sunday..

Who would YOU have taken?

 

[VJCPatriot]

Every draft pick is a risk.

But bottom line when you look at N'Keal Harry's physical attributes and toolbox, he has every chance of becoming a bona fide #1 wideout in the NFL.

Size 6'3 228 lbs. Check.
Athleticism 38.5" Vert, 10'2 Broad Jump. Check.
Strength 27 bench reps , Speed 4.53 40. Check.
Upside just turned 21 years of age recently, one of the most productive 20 year old college wide receivers last year. Check.

Everything is in place, the only question is how quickly can Harry catch on to the Patriots offensive system and can he develop the chemistry and trust with Brady?

One example of a big bodied, athlete who immediately caught on with the Pats... a kid named Rob Gronkowski. Came into the league as a rookie on a veteran-laden Patriots squad and immediately caught 10 touchdowns and never looked back.

We have a job opening and BB is taking a gamble that Harry might fill the role of the big play, big bodied pass catcher with a super athletic WR. I'm really excited to see how it works out! Kid absolutely has a chance to be a stud player.

Another thing that's not talked a lot about this kid yet is his work ethic. That really bodes well for his prospects in New England, where if you don't bring your lunch pail every day, you are likely to wash out.

“There’s no point on focusing what I did well on the week before,” Harry said Tuesday. “A great player is going to go into the film room and see what he messed up on and what he needs to work on. I feel if I can continue to do that and continue to ask (Likens) what I need to improve on each day, I’ll end up being the player I believe I can be — hopefully at some point in the near future.”

Harry is always looking to improve, he's no prima donna, he already believes in doing the film room work to make himself better. I have a feeling, he's going to be a great fit in the lockerroom and more importantly on the field as well. He also has two possible mentors in Edelman, one of the most competitive receivers on the planet, and Demaryius Thomas who is a similar big bodied WR familiar with McDaniel's offense.

 

[Wheelman]

Downright DIRTY!

Better catch than the OBJ catch everyone drools over for some reason.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Michael Lombardi: 'You're an idiot' to draft D.K. Metcalf over N'Keal Harry





I think what gives N'Keal the advantage over A.J. Brown is the fact that he was very productive for three straight years without having other top-shelf talent lining up with him like Metcalf or Lodge.

That means he responded well and still was able to produce against defenses and defense coordinator specifically designed to stop him while being the primary target for ASU.

People always state he had little separation but defenses rarely slowed him down since he stepped on the field as an 18 year old and became ASU main receiver.

From the same guy a couple weeks back:



Basically, *for his size* Harry has notable burst and speed. To whatever extent people will remark that he isn't especially fast, it's because guys as big as him rarely are. The criticism at that point basically becomes "he's not Julio Jones", which makes sense because if he was he wouldn't be available at 32 in the first place.