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T
he New England Patriots won’t get an actual chance to redo the 2019 NFL draft but thanks to Pro Football Focus, fans can imagine what could have happened.
In 2019, the Patriots selected N’Keal Harry who has struggled throughout his NFL career. The wide receiver has only been able to rack up 57 receptions for 598 yards and 4 touchdowns.
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But if the Patriots got a do-over who would they take? Trevor Sikkema of PFF believes they would take Noah Fant.
“Fant hasn’t been a major difference-maker yet in the NFL,” said Sikkema. “But he has been consistent, racking up over 500 yards receiving in each of his past three seasons. This pick also could have stopped New England from spending all that money on Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry two offseasons later.”
Why Would the Patriots Want Fant?
New England has been looking for a tight end ever since they lost Rob Gronkowski. They might have found an answer quite quickly if they had selected Fant 32nd overall.
Fant has had a great start to his NFL career. In three seasons, he has tallied 170 receptions for 1,905 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are numbers that Harry could only dream of. Every single season, Fant has continued to improve.
But this only gives Patriots fans more questions about what would have happened if New England had not selected Harry. If Brady had a target at tight end would he have gone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Maybe he would have spent his entire career with the Patriots?
Fant now has Russell Wilson throwing him the ball in Denver and it seems like he is on the verge of another solid season.
What Would Happen to Harry?
If Harry wasn’t selected in the first round, he wouldn’t have had the pressure that comes with being selected so soon. Also if he was to not have been selected by New England, maybe his career turns out differently.
Right now, Harry seems destined for a new home. The wide receiver has continued to disappoint as he failed to get serious time with the starters and was primarily relegated to the scout team.
Trade rumors continue to surround Harry and at this point, it is believed that New England might outright cut him. His tenure with the Patriots has been nothing but a failure.
Harry has been linked to moves to the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals. The Packers are looking for wide receiver help after the departure of Davante Adams and the Cardinals need some help with DeAndre Hopkins being suspended for the start of the 2022 season.
The Cardinals would be an interesting move as it would be a bit of a homecoming for Harry. The wide receiver played his college ball at Arizona State and owns a gym in the state.
So PFF brought up so old wounds for Patriots fans and showed them what could have been if they made a different selection in the first round of the 2019 draft. But Harry is still a Patriot and his days as a member of the organization appear to be numbered.