Patriots draft Harry to close out 1st round

The New England Patriots selected wide receiver N'Keal Harry out of Arizona State with the 32nd overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Patriots entered the draft with a huge need at receiver and helped fill it with the former Sun Devils star whose game has drawn comparisons to a young Dez Bryant.

The selection made Harry the first wideout chosen by the Patriots in the first round since Bill Belichick became the head coach in 2000.

Harry earned a pair of All-Pac-12 nods over his three-year career with the Sun Devils. He hauled in 73 passes for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior in 2018.

Harry and Oklahoma's Marquise Brown were the only two wideouts drafted in the first round Thursday.

Prospect profile

School: Arizona State
Height: 6-2
Weight: 228 lbs

Strengths

• Big-bodied receiver who's very difficult to tackle in open field
• Has excellent body control both after the catch and on contested targets
• Easily overpowered smaller cornerbacks during routes
• Very good short-area quickness for his size
• Made a number of "wow" plays on tape
• Excellent running slants
• Technical route-runner that uses arm-over technique to separate
• Legitimate red-zone threat

Weaknesses

• Loses a bit of burst/speed in and out of breaks
• Made a number of incredible catches, but also had a few disappointing drops
• Doesn't beat press coverage as often as he should
• Has reversed field and ran in opposite direction a number of times after the catch - may not work as effectively in the NFL

Bottom line

Harry is a physically imposing receiver who moves very well for his size. He's a scheme-versatile prospect who projects as a classic X receiver or in a big slot role. Concerns over his speed and athleticism were silenced after an excellent combine. Harry's route running - particularly his feet - needs a bit of fine tuning, but the first-team All-Pac-12 wideout has a number of high-level traits to develop into a potent offensive weapon.