N'Keal Harry NFL Stats & News (2024)

Since being drafted in the first round of the 2019 Draft, Harry hasn't produced as hoped. Now with the Bears, Harry had surgery on his ankle during training camp and will miss the early portion of the season. When he returns, he'll compete for a depth receiver role.

Harry, who the Patriots took 32nd overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, finished last season with 33 catches on 57 targets for 309 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. Though he went into 2020 seemingly primed for an expanded role, that opportunity didn't lead to significant production for the 6-4, 225-pounder. As the second wideout selected in his draft year, Harry will be given the chance to compete for a key role in the Patriots offense this year, but he'll have to outshine free-agent additions Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne and returnee Jakobi Meyers to make a blip on the fantasy radar. Harry's size and ability to make contested catches give him a degree of red-zone upside, but he'll have have to wait until at least Week 4 of the regular season to contribute after landing on IR in early September due to a shoulder injury.

The opportunity was there last year for Harry, but a trip to IR with an ankle injury saw him get off to a late start, and the Patriots offense has never been an easy one for rookies to pick up. In the end, Harry had only 24 targets for a paltry 8.8 YPC and 4.4 YPT. The good news is he'll almost certainly have a bigger role this year. With Tom Brady gone, the team's quarterback situation is evolving, but Harry won't have as steep a hill to climb to earn the trust of either Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham. At 6-4, 225, Harry is massive, and while he has only average speed for his size (4.53 40), he's strong, physical and athletic. As the team's first-round pick in 2019, Harry will likely be next in line after Julian Edelman to see regular opportunities. And Edelman will turn 34 in May, so this could be a passing-of-the-torch year, with Harry taking over as the top dog for the franchise. But Harry first has to show he's a quality NFL player, something that never happened in Year 1.

The final pick of the first round, Harry landed in a good spot. The Tom Brady-led Patriots lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement, and their top wideout, Julian Edelman, is 33 years old with a long history of injuries. The team signed what's left of Demaryius Thomas this offseason, and there's always the hope Josh Gordon can once and for all kick his demons and handle a consistent role, but targets are there for the taking, especially for a player drafted in the first round. At 6-2, 228, Harry has good speed (4.53 40) relative to his weight, but he isn't as athletic or explosive as some of the receivers taken in the second round. Unfortunately, the rookie's rookie campaign will be stalled by his placement on IR due to an ankle injury. Harry is a candidate, however, to be brought back later in the season.