The 2019 NFL Draft was loaded at wide receiver with a number of players having outstanding rookie seasons.
N’Keal Harry was the second receiver taken overall (No. 32), after Marquise Brown, but things haven’t gone as well for him, partly due to being on injured reserve for half of his rookie season.
A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Mecole Hardman and Diontae Johnson were all selected after Harry, and have all had better starts to their careers than the Arizona State product.
Speaking via video conference Thursday, Harry was asked if he ever compares himself to those players.
“No, I can’t compare my situation to anybody else,” he said. “Just like D.K. can’t compare his situation to A.J. and A.J. can’t really compare his situation to D.K. We’re all in different positions so … when I sit there, I’m extremely happy for those guys. I was training with them pre-draft, so I know how much work they put in and I have a lot of respect for the way they grind.
“I’ve never been the type to just sit there and say, ‘Why hasn’t that happened for me?’ I know I’m in a different situation, and I’m just going to just, every day, go out there and work on ways to improve and stay patient and trust God’s timing. That’s my philosophy.”
In 11 career games, Harry has just 30 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns.
The wide receiver stressed he does not get frustrated given the slow start to his career.
“My mindset is doing whatever coach needs me to do,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m not too worried about personal stats and stuff like that. I’m worried about getting a win. I hate losing. I hate losing more than I love winning, so that’s my No. 1 goal, to win the game and do whatever I can to help us win the game.”
With that being said, Harry has shown signs through four games that his sophomore season will be better, so it may be worth waiting until the year is done to truly evaluate what he is.
