Patriots: 3 Pats players poised for huge bounce back years

Here are three Patriots players who are poised for big bounce back seasons.

Is anybody actually confident in their win projection for the New England Patriots in 2020? The departure of Tom Brady was already a big enough obstacle to overcome. Then, a total of eight players, which led the NFL by a wide margin, opted out due to concerns regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In normal circumstances, a team that sustained this magnitude of roster turnover — which includes the several other players who left in free agency — would be written off as a playoff contender. However, the Patriots obviously aren’t a run of the mill franchise.

While the odds will be stacked against them, something tells us the wizard that is Bill Belichick has a few tricks (and contingency plans) up his sleeve that will keep New England afloat and in the playoff conversation.

However, the legendary head coach can only do so much. In order for the Patriots to prove their outspoken doubters wrong this season, they will need these three players to enjoy huge bounce back campaigns.

3. N’Keal Harry

N’Keal Harry is ready to burst out for the Patriots.

The development of rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry, who the Patriots drafted at No. 32 overall last year, was unfortunately hindered by his inability to get on the field early on. Following the draft, fans in New England were itching for the 22-year-old to showcase his highly-hyped potential, but an ankle injury ultimately forced the franchise to put him on injured reserve before the start of the season.

When all was said and done, Harry appeared in seven games (five starts), across which he recorded 12 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Those aren’t great numbers by any stretch, but you have to understand how important preseason is for rookie receivers, and the Arizona State product simply didn’t have much of one.

The Patriots had already hit their stride by the time Harry returned, which resulted in him playing just 19% of the offensive snaps. To his credit, however, the former Sun Devil showed flashes of the stud he projects to be with an offseason free of injury. With a motivated Cam Newton projected to be throwing him passes, Harry could break out in a big way as an NFL sophomore.