This NFL Analyst Doesn't Think N'Keal Harry Will Evolve Into No. 1 Receiver

"I don’t think he is going to be an elite player, I don’t think he’s going to be a No. 1 receiver..."

N'Keal Harry's rookie season didn't exactly go as planned. 

As a player that was selected in the first round by the New England Patriots last year, Harry started the 2019 regular season on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury during the preseason. Once he returned to action in Week 11, Harry managed to catch just 12 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the remaining seven regular season games, and two catches for 21 yards in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. 

Some are giving Harry a pass for his rookie season because of the injuries he dealt with and because he was still learning the playbook. Others have already lost hope based on what they saw from the former Sun Devil when he was on the field. 

But what do the experts think about Harry's future in a Patriots uniform?

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah shared his thoughts on Harry during an interview with WEEI's radio show "Dale & Keefe" on Thursday, which may concern those who were hoping Harry would develop into the Patriots' primary option in the passing game.  

“(N'Keal Harry) went a little bit higher than I had him, but what I thought he could do was be a red-zone guy, he was a big target, a third-down option,” Jeremiah said. “It’s not normal to have rookies play well at that position. Last year was not a normal year. We had A.J. Brown, (D.K.) Metcalf and (Terry) McLaurin, all these guys, Deebo Samuel, have great rookie years. It is normal for these guys to take a little bit of time.

“I’d reserve judgment there. I don’t think he is going to be an elite player, I don’t think he’s going to be a No. 1 receiver, but I think he can be a solid player in the league and I think we will see how he progresses, but that is my expectation that he will get to that point.”

As a team that is looking for their next No. 1 wideout now that Julian Edelman's days in the NFL are numbered, Jeremiah's comments may be a gut punch to those who thought Harry could be elite, let alone a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. While analysts can be wrong in many instances, even Jeremiah - who is one of the best at what he does - Harry's tape goes right in line with what Jeremiah believes Harry can do in the NFL. 

While his knowledge of New England's playbook will be much stronger this year than it was during his rookie season, what was evident when Harry was on the field last year was his inability to consistently get separation form defensive backs. That caused offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to have to become very creative in order to get the balls in Harry's hands with open space in front of him, which is something a team should not have to do for a true No. 1 receiver. 

An offseason of improvement could resolve that issue for Harry. But based on what we've seen from him thus far, Harry has a lot to prove in Year 2 if he wants to earn the trust of Patriots nation.