Prior to Thursday evening, the New England Patriots had a selected sort when it got here to drafting a large receiver.
That participant was usually undersized, ran a 4.4-second or sooner 40-yard sprint, a 6.9 or faster three-cone drill and didn’t put up gaudy stats in school. The system in the end failed to provide desired outcomes.
N’Keal Harry, the Patriots’ decide at No. 32 total within the 2019 NFL Draft, checks none of these containers. He’s huge — 6-foot-3, 225 kilos — and failed to succeed in these most popular metrics, operating a 4.53-second 40 and ending the three-cone in 7.05 seconds. And he produced in an enormous manner at Arizona State, catching 213 passes for two,889 yards with 22 touchdowns in three school seasons. He had two 1,000-yard seasons and averaged 71 catches, 963 yards and seven.Three touchdowns per 12 months.
Check out the faculty manufacturing of each different receiver drafted by the Patriots:
David Givens: 72 catches, 814 yards, three touchdowns (4 seasons)
Deion Branch: 143 catches, 2,204 yards, 18 touchdowns (two seasons)
Bethel Johnson: 117 catches, 1,740 yards, 11 touchdowns (4 seasons)
P.Okay. Sam: 76 catches, 1,066 yards, seven touchdowns (three seasons)
Chad Jackson: 120 catches, 1,586 yards, 16 touchdowns (three seasons)
Matt Slater: no catches, zero yards (4 seasons)
Julian Edelman: one catch, 11 yards (three seasons)
Brandon Tate: 46 catches, 927 yards, eight touchdowns (4 seasons)
Taylor Price: 149 yards, 2,019 yards, 14 touchdowns (4 seasons)
Jeremy Ebert: 173 catches, 2,400 yards, 21 touchdowns (4 seasons)
Josh Boyce: 161 catches, 2,535 yards, 22 touchdowns (three seasons)
Aaron Dobson: 165 catches, 2,398 yards, 24 touchdowns (4 seasons)
Jeremy Gallon: 173 catches, 2,704 yards, 17 touchdowns (4 seasons)
Malcolm Mitchell: 174 catches, 2,350 yards, 16 touchdowns
Devin Lucien: 124 catches, 1,826 yards, 12 touchdowns (4 seasons)
Braxton Berrios: 100 catches, 1,175 yards, 14 touchdowns (4 seasons)
Those receivers, collectively, averaged 30.9 catches, 444.1 yards and three.5 touchdowns per season. Take out Slater and Edelman, and people wideouts nonetheless solely have been averaging 35.2 catches, 504.eight yards and 4 touchdowns per season.
Branch and Edelman have been the Patriots’ greatest hits amongst drafted receivers. Branch averaged 71.5 catches, 1,102 yards and 9 touchdowns per season at Louisville (he additionally spent two years at a junior school). Harry averaged 77.5 catches, 1,115 yards and eight.5 touchdowns over his final two seasons.
College manufacturing shouldn’t be meaningless.
The Patriots actually strayed from the norm by taking Edelman. Did you realize he performed quarterback in school?
Harry nonetheless wants some seasoning on the professional degree, however there’s much less projection wanted in assessing how his sport will translate to the NFL. He excels on contested catches, hauling in back-shoulder throws and in selecting up yards after the catch. It clearly will probably be harder for him to do exhibit these expertise towards NFL gamers, however he ought to nonetheless have the ability to use his measurement, energy and leaping potential to his benefit.
With previous draft picks, like Johnson, Jackson, Tate, Price and Dobson, the Patriots hoped they might take a uncooked, athletic receiver within the second or third spherical and mould him right into a productive participant. It in the end didn’t work.
Harry wants much less molding, even when he lacks elite athleticism. Not solely is Harry the primary receiver Belichick has taken within the first spherical with the Patriots, however he’s additionally a departure from their typical traits. Who says you possibly can’t train outdated canine new methods?
Thumbnail picture by way of Peter Brouillet/USA TODAY Sports Images