N’Keal Harry enters his fourth year in the league with a new team, and the fresh start he so badly needed. For most teams acquiring any player for a mere seventh-round pick is nothing more than a footnote. However, the Chicago Bears aren’t exactly like most teams. Despite having holes at the receiver position entering the offseason, Ryan Poles invested very little into the position. The Chicago Bears’ current wide receiver room is mostly comprised of backups and complementary pieces.
N’Keal Harry’s time in New England was nothing short of a disappointment. The former first-round pick recorded a modest 598 yards in his three years with the team. But even if Harry is unlikely to ever live up to his draft position, that doesn’t mean he can’t be more than the guy he was with the Patriots.
For starters, Harry’s game was always an interesting fit for New England’s offense. The passing attack always catered more to smaller, technical receivers, which led to great careers from guys like Julian Edelman and Wes Welker. Harry, on the other hand, was a bigger physical receiver who thrived at the point of the catch. This clash of styles made it hard for Harry to secure consistent playing time.
A fresh start with the Chicago Bears is what N’Keal Harry needs
It’s easy to write a guy like N’Keal Harry off, but forming a verdict on a player with only 103 targets to his name may be slightly premature. Just because a player is considered to be over-drafted doesn’t necessarily mean they are completely incompetent. Getting a fresh start with the Chicago Bears may be exactly what Harry needs to get his career back on track.
While Harry’s skills may be in question, his stylistic appeal shouldn’t be. With the exception of Equanimeous St. Brown, Chicago’s receiving core lacks the ideal size. At the bare minimum, N’Keal Harry offers upside as a run blocker and red zone target, which can’t be said about most of the other receivers currently on the Chicago Bears roster.
In 2021, Justin Fields had one of the highest depths of target of any quarterback in football. While it’s reasonable to expect that number to drop with a new play caller, a more vertical attack would compliment Harry’s game much better than the short, methodical one he played in with the Patriots. Harry averaged nearly 15 yards per catch in his final year at Arizona State and showed plenty of big play ability. Running longer developing concepts would likely prove to be very beneficial for Harry.
It doesn’t appear that N’Keal Harry will ever be the game-changing receiver many scouts and executives thought he would be in the 2019 draft. But fortunately for him, he won’t have to be that in Chicago. Being traded for a seventh-round pick puts Harry in a low-pressure spot. He doesn’t need to be anything more than a third or fourth option in the passing game.
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With that said, given the uncertainty surrounding the Chicago Bears group of pass catchers, N’Keal Harry has the chance to work himself into a bigger role with a stronger performance. Even though it’s been three years since Harry was thought of as a top-tier receiving prospect, it’s hard to believe all of that talent has vanished, and that’s why Harry could succeed in Chicago.