Patriots: 3 contenders who will make better use of N’Keal Harry

1. San Francisco 49ers

Was there any other choice for the No. 1 spot?

The San Francisco 49ers’ roster was decimated by injuries last season, but they figure to re-announce themselves as contenders in 2021. As far as their receiving corps is concerned, however, it could stand to be improved between now and the start of next campaign.

While there’s no arguing that Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk form one of the most dynamic receiving tandems in the league, both have dealt with injuries in their young careers. Speaking strictly in terms of last season, they played a combined 19 games. That won’t cut it.

The 49ers seem like the perfect landing spot for N’Keal Harry.

With superstar tight end George Kittle also on the shelf, Ritchie James served as the 49ers’ de facto No. 1 WR for several weeks. That simply cannot happen again for a team with genuine title hopes, and San Francisco’s depth behind their three big guns still leaves a lot to be desired.

How desperate are the 49ers for receiving help? Well, they brought back Patriots legend Mohamed Sanu (sorry, we couldn’t resist), who they signed for three contests last year, and he currently has a chance of starting the season as their third or fourth option.

While Harry doesn’t technically fit the profile of a Kyle Shanahan wideout, if there’s any head coach capable of jumpstarting the 23-year-old’s career, it’s Shanahan.

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