New England Patriots wide receiver N'Keal Harry will be expected to take on a bigger role in the offense in his sophomore season, and his coach, Bill Belichick, is pleased with the improvement he's seen in the team's 2019 first-round pick—despite a generally up-and-down performance in camp.
“He's much more comfortable…He's a physical, tough kid who loves to compete,” Belichick said on Friday, via NESN's Zack Cox.
Belichick on N'Keal Harry: "He's much more comfortable. … He's a physical, tough kid who loves to compete."
Reiterated that all of New England's second-year players have made significant jumps.
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) August 28, 2020
Belichick noted the growth of multiple second-year players, including quarterback Jarrett Stidham, halfback Damien Harris, defensive end Chase Winovich and receiver Gunner Olszewski.
“This summer, I think our players in their second year have all made a significant jump and growth in their knowledge, both of our system and what they see on the other side from other teams in the league and our opponents and general maturity in professional football,” Belichick said, via Isaiah Houde in Patriots Wire.
Harry has shined one some days, but he's also suffered from drop issues, mental miscues, and wasn't ready for a practice-ending drill.
At 6'4″, 225 pounds, Harry's enticing talent was on display in his rookie training camp, too, but he was plagued by injuries and a questionable work ethic. He was placed on injured reserve (IR) list with an ankle injury on Sept. 2 and returned in November, but the missed reps stalled his development.
In seven games as a rookie, Harry tallied 12 receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
However, Belichick has reasons to be optimistic about Harry heading into 2020.
Harry will be one of the three main receiving targets for either Cam Newton or Stidham—along with Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu—and, ideally for New England, a favorite red zone target.
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