Who will lead the Patriots in receiving yards this year?
4. N’Keal Harry
Much has understandably been made over the fact that N’Keal Harry is the first rookie wide receiver drafted by Bill Belichick in the first round – ever.
It’s not really a big surprise either. As masterful as Belichick has been as a head coach for New England, and as deft of a general manager as he typically is when it comes to drafting defensive players and amassing capital in future drafts, he really doesn’t sport a great track record when it comes to drafting wideouts.
Aaron Dobson. Chad Jackson. Josh Boyce. The list goes on and on…
Belichick must believe that Harry is “The One,” a la Morpheus finding Neo in “The Matrix.” Otherwise he never would have burned a precious first-round pick on the Arizona State wide receiver to begin with.
Harry, by most reports, had a strong showing at voluntary OTAs and then was somewhat quiet at mandatory minicamp. The rookie learning curve is nothing to sniff at – especially when it comes to picking up the complicated offense the Patriots run – so it shouldn’t alarm anyone to see Harry drop a few passes or take some time to earn Brady’s ironclad trust.
Just as is the case with Thomas, we’ll certainly learn a lot more about where Harry is in his progression next month when the Patriots enter training camp. If the rook keeps his head down, keeps his mouth shut, and displays some of the athleticism and finesse that made him a first-round talent, there’s a real chance he could finish the season as the Patriots’ leading receiver.
Stranger things have certainly happened.