Vikings Sign Former First Round Pick Wide Receiver
The Vikings have signed wide receiver N'Keal Harry, a former first round pick who is still just 25 years old. He gives them a little more depth with a few receivers currently banged up.
Harry was drafted 32nd overall by the Patriots out of Arizona State in 2019, following consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with at least eight touchdowns. At 6'3", 228 pounds with a 38.5-inch vertical, Harry earned an 8.43 Relative Athletic Score and looked like a future NFL standout as a big outside receiver who could thrive in the red zone.
Instead, he flopped in New England. Harry appeared in 33 games over his first three seasons, starting 18 of them, and had a cumulative receiving line of 57 catches, 598 yards, and four touchdowns. Last year, the Patriots traded Harry to the Bears for a seventh-round pick. In Chicago, he began the year with an ankle injury, but returned to play in seven games and catch nine passes for 116 yards and a TD.
Now entering his fifth season, the Toronto native will look to keep his career alive in Minnesota. His primary issue has been creating separation as a route-runner.
Vikings receivers Jalen Nailor, Trishton Jackson, and Lucky Jackson are currently dealing with injuries, so Harry adds another body to that room. That he was once a first-round pick doesn't mean much at this point, but his size and college production does at least make him an interesting flier for the Vikings.
This is similar to the Jalen Reagor acquisition; GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is taking another shot on a former first-round receiver who hasn't panned out.
The Vikings play their first preseason game on Thursday night in Seattle.
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