It’s certainly been an intriguing summer for third-year wide receiver N’Keal Harry.
Last month, Harry requested a trade through his agent, but he showed up to camp and looked ready to compete. Through two weeks, he's put together his best camp in three years, but it’s still been inconsistent. The 2019 first-round pick has shown well in 1-on-1 drills, making a number of highlight-reel catches, but it hasn’t transferred over to team work.
That trend continued Thursday in the preseason opener against Washington.
Harry started and played 36 snaps, the most of any skill position player. Even with the increased playing time, he finished with just one catch on one target for four yards, and that didn’t come until early in the third quarter.
With Nelson Agholor not dressing, it seemed like Harry was the No. 2 receiver behind Jakobi Meyers. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ahead of Kendrick Bourne or even Gunner Olszewski on the depth chart. It could be a case of the team trying to do what it can to get the most out of Harry and see what he could do with not only increased reps, but reps with the first unit.
Harry showed up as a blocker in the run game, but that’s nothing new. Even during his struggles the last two seasons, he has shown an ability to be a factor blocking down field for the running backs.
It’s hard to come away from Thursday night feeling any better or more positive towards Harry. Given the number of snaps he played, he needs to produce more. Sure, he’s not going to be open on every play, but one target in 30-plus snaps is not very good.
Harry is competing with Kristian Wilkerson for a roster spot and in 32 snaps, he caught six passes on nine targets. That’s making the most of your opportunities.
And if the Patriots were considering trading him this summer, he didn’t do much on a national stage to increase his value.
While Harry certainly is talented and could still find a spot on the team, Thursday just continued what he’s been for the last two seasons.
