Patriots: Could N’Keal Harry actually help the passing attack?

The New England Patriots spent the offseason upgrading their offense so that it’d be more explosive regardless of who’d be under center.

Of course, that turned out to be Mac Jones, and the rookie, despite making the occasional eye-popping throw, has struggled to maximize the talent around him.

The Patriots’ two high-priced tight ends — Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith — have made little to no impact thus far. Nelson Agholor has five catches for 38 yards over his last two games after impressing in his debut. And Kendrick Bourne has 123 receiving yards on the year after his 96-yard effort on Sunday.

In sum, this offense is in desperate need of a spark…especially with James White out indefinitely with a hip injury he suffered in Week 3.

Could that spark come in the form of N’Keal Harry?

We wouldn’t rule it out. After all, he’s eligible to come off injured reserve and he and Jones had an undeniable chemistry during training camp.

Could N’Keal Harry help the Patriots’ struggling aerial attack?

We know better than to get duped into thinking that Harry is going to be a superstar upon returning to the lineup. However, his presence alone could be just what the struggling passing game needs to get back on track.

At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Jakobi Meyers qualifies as the Patriots’ most physically-imposing receiver when Harry isn’t on the field. While Meyers is incredibly gifted in his own right, he’s more of an intermediate receiver than a jump ball or red zone threat. There’s a reason he has zero touchdowns in 32 career games.

That isn’t to say Harry is a red zone phenomenon (he has four TDs in 21 career games), but he’s more than capable of bullying defenders in the air. For a Patriots offense that has scored two touchdowns on eight red zone trips this season, Harry’s 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame could be just what the doctor ordered.

We’d like to see it translate into the regular season before we fully buy in, but Jones looked his most deadly during camp when Harry was on the field. We’re not sure what it is about the 2019 first-round pick, but Jones loves throwing his way, so there’s reason for optimism that the duo builds off that chemistry.

The only hurdle Harry, who landed on IR with a shoulder injury during the preseason, has to clear is actually…getting activated. The Patriots have a 21-day window to add him to the active roster before he would be transferred to season-ending IR.

Assuming the latter scenario isn’t in the cards, it feels like Harry will be back on the field for New England in Week 4. If he is, we’ll be paying close attention to see if his presence helps Jones overcome his current slump.

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