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The New England Patriots selected wide receiver N’Keal Harry with their first-round pick in 2019. The six-time Super Bowl champions selected him ahead of several wideouts who have proven to be far more productive, including budding Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf. This underachievement has made Harry a hot topic of conversation over the past six months.
On Friday, NFL Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin appeared on WEEI’s Dale & Keefe show to discuss a few things, most notably about how he would “turn Harry around.”
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Irvin’s Comments
In typical “Playmaker” fashion, Irvin didn’t pull any punches while discussing how he’d help Harry reach the ceiling that pushed the Patriots to select him with the 32nd pick overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
“I’m going to change his mentality from, ‘I wanna get around these guys and not make them touch me’ to ‘I’m gonna run right through his ass,'” Irvin told WEEI on December 4.
Here is another snippet of the conversation that was posted on Twitter. I promise you, if you love football, you’ll want to hear this if you haven’t yet.
N’Keal Harry’s Play Style Similar to Irvin
If you aren’t old enough to have watched Irvin during his prime with the Dallas Cowboys during the 1990s, you may not realize it, but his style was very similar to what the Patriots can only hope Harry someday becomes.
Take a look at some of “The Playmaker’s” highlights:
American Football Database described Irvin’s size and style as follows:
At 6’2″ and 207 pounds, Irvin was a big, physical receiver who manhandled cornerbacks and often was able to make tough catches in defensive traffic. In part because of Irvin’s ability to push off the defender with such ease, the NFL eventually changed its rules to adjust to wide receivers who emulated Irvin’s physical style.
Built like a tank, Harry is listed at 6-foot-4-inches, 230 pounds and seemingly has the ability to play the type of game Irvin is suggesting. As a matter of fact, one look at what Harry accomplished at Arizona State proves he received the attention of NFL scouts due to his physicality and ability to work through contact.
The NFL is obviously very different than the collegiate level, but at some point, the Patriots need to see a little Sun Devils magic.
Rest of the Season is Critical for Harry
There are five games remaining in the Patriots season, all of which are must-win for New England. Individually, Harry needs to show some progression with at least one or two contests where he makes himself a threat in the passing game. The 22-year-old will need to demonstrate that he can be the downfield threat and slant option that his size and athleticism suggest he could be at the professional level.
If he is unable to deliver, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Irvin working with Harry in hopes of the young receiver signing on with another team should he get released by the Patriots. Harry is currently in the second season of his four-year, $10.09 million rookie deal, which carries a $4.09 million pre-June 1 dead cap hit in 2021, per Spotrac.
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