The Patriots haven’t drafted a star receiver early in the draft for 17 years. Now would be a good time for that trend to end.
In N'Keal Harry, the only receiver Bill Belichick has drafted in the first round with the Patriots, Tom Brady can only hope he has a No. 1 receiver to last him the last of his career. Harry’s rookie contract means he’ll be under control for either four or five years, thus bridging the gap between Brady and the next guy.
So far, Harry has received positive marks in training camp, though an injury suffered in joint practices in Detroit popped up in the preseason opener.
Once Harry finds his footing in the NFL, he’s expected to be a physical receiver whose tenacity makes up for any lack of straight-line speed (he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash). He’s often been compared to Anquan Boldin (Harry is 6-4, 225, Boldin 6-1, 220). The Patriots would take that.
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