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The New England Patriots need more out of N’Keal Harry, that’s easy for anyone to see. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels talked about Harry’s struggles on Tuesday during his weekly press conference, and he was pretty candid while also remaining optimistic.
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“Harry Has Plenty of Things That He Can Improve On”
McDaniels was asked about Harry’s development since his rookie year last season, and over the course of the first 11 games in this campaign. McDaniels didn’t speak all gloom and doom, but he didn’t neglect to point out Harry’s need to improve.
I think N’Keal has done some things — certainly some positive things that have helped us during the course of the games that he’s played. And I think, like most young players who’ve had to miss time throughout the early part of their careers, he’s got plenty of things that he can improve on and that he needs to improve on.
Harry appears to struggle to gain separation on just about every sort of route. Even when he was tearing up college football for Arizona State, Harry wasn’t a speed guy. He won a lot with his size and strength, but he hasn’t been able to overpower guys as much on the NFL level. He’s also struggled to stay healthy, which has likely stunted his growth and done a job on his confidence.
In 16 games over two seasons, the equivalent of a full NFL campaign, Harry has just 36 receptions for 318 yards and three touchdowns. That’s not going to cut it for most fifth-round picks, let alone a first-round selection.
McDaniels talked about the key to improvement for young players like Harry:
“The name of the game for young guys is to learn how to play and how to do their job at this level, and then to be able to be consistently dependable doing it against good competition under pressure is the next step for guys in this league.”
Why Isn’t Harry Taking Steps Toward Major Improvement?
Does Harry have issues with work ethic? McDaniels makes it clear, that isn’t the receiver’s issue.
“N’Keal works extremely hard at practice, and he has to continue to try to do that. And we have to continue to try to coach the things that we need to improve and make better as we move forward the rest of the season that we have left.”
We saw him work to condition his body and work on his footwork over the course of the offseason. On social media, he looked primed for a breakout season, but a few things have worked against him. He’s battled the effects of a concussion, a shoulder and ankle injury. Beyond the health issues, the offense the Patriots run doesn’t seem to play to Harry’s strengths.
In college, Harry excelled in an offense that routinely targeted him in single coverage down the field where he was able to use his athletic gifts to come down with a ton of big plays.
The Patriots didn’t have a quarterback in Tom Brady in 2019 who was capable of having success on the longer passes, and in 2020, Cam Newton is mostly being relegated to dink and dunk throws, which also don’t play to Harry’s strengths.
Group that in with the relatively regular mental errors Harry seems to make, and you have the formerly for an underwhelming start to an NFL wide receivers’ career.
It would be great to see him have the kind of breakout performances the Patriots have recently seen from Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd, but it simply hasn’t happened yet.
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