What N’Keal Harry’s Return to Practice May Mean For the Patriots
The future of New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry has been among the most compelling stories of the team’s march into the 2021 NFL season.
Despite being mere months removed from his agent having requested that the former first-rounder be traded away from New England, Harry has taken the field for his first regular season practice of 2021.
On Wednesday, Harry returned to Patriots' practice, thus opening the 21-day window for the 23-year-old to be activated from injured reserve (IR). Harry was placed on IR on September 2, and was eligible to return to the field, following the passing of three regular-season games.
Despite a solid start to Training Camp, Harry has been sidelined from action since August 19, when the wideout suffered an injury to his shoulder, during the second quarter of the Pats’ preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Harry nearly connected on a well-thrown ‘would-be’ touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Mac Jones. Harry was unable to corral the pass as he landed awkwardly on his left shoulder while diving to make the catch. After remaining down for several minutes, Harry was accompanied to the blue medical tent by the Patriots training staff. He would eventually head to the locker room and did not return to the field. After the game, Harry was spotted leaving the stadium with his arm in a sling. Harry was absent for the remainder of Camp, before eventually being placed on IR.
Though many expected Harry’s days in a Patriots uniform to be numbered, he appears set to return to the Patriots lineup. As a result, he should contribute to a receiving corps that is in need of assistance. Harry had begun to show flashes of his first-round talent throughout the summer. While few would question his ability to make catches in tight coverage, Harry had been running his routes with more precision. As a result, he often found himself in better positioning to make plays. Specifically, Harry found greater separation at the top of his routes, making him a tougher matchup in one-on-one situations. For the duration of his time in a Patriots uniform, achieving separation from his opponent has been a problem for him. While New England lined him up on the perimeter for the majority of his snaps as a rookie, they moved him inside more often than not in 2020. Throughout camp, it appeared that Harry was being groomed to see greater time on the perimeter.
With receivers Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers already playing significant roles in the Patriots passing game this season, Harry is expected to find a more specialized role in the Patriots offense. To do so, he will have to prove that he can operate outside his comfort zone. At 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, Harry’s size and strength could make him an effective weapon in short yardage situations, in both receiver and tight end packages. At his best, Harry has the frame to work as both a red zone and perimeter target, moving between the X- and Z-receiver roles. As such, he could be an effective target for Jones in the red zone; coincidentally an area in which the Pats have struggled, thus far.
With his 2021 season debut on the horizon, N’Keal Harry still has time to put an exclamation mark on his case for a spot on the Patriots roster. While not impossible, it is a bit unlikely that the receiver may show enough to head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff to be activated for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Still, Harry should be expected to demonstrate significant progress from the start. As his camp performances have shown, the talent is clearly there. He needs to display that talent on the stage that matters most. If he does, Harry will be an effective contributor to the Patriots in the upcoming season. Should he continue to have similar difficulties, however, his days in Patriot blue may indeed be numbered.
