N’Keal Harry wasn’t a 1st round pick by accident. That much must be made clear. Teams saw him as a top wide receiver prospect for a reason. They felt he had the necessary traits to become a go-to target in the NFL. That is why the New England Patriots drafted him. There are plenty of theories as to why it didn’t work out. Most blame a lack of maturity and questionable work ethic. Others blame the Patriots’ offense and their refusal to utilize his biggest strengths as a player. The Bears hope Justin Fields can be different.
The consensus with Harry was he played as a big receiver should. His size, length, power, and body control bullied defensive backs. It didn’t matter if he looked covered. If his quarterback put the ball in his vicinity, there was a high probability he’d come down with it. The Patriots rarely used him that way, instead trying to make him more of a route-running specialist. If the Bears want to make this flier work, they should consider an alternate strategy.
They have familiarity with receivers like Harry. If they’re smart, they’ll pull tape from the archives of another player similar to him named Brandon Marshall. He didn’t do too bad in Chicago.
N’Keal Harry should love Justin Fields.
Their skill sets match up. Both are huge for wide receivers, and neither is overly fast. Harry ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash. Marshall ran a 4.52. Quickness and burst aren’t their calling cards. Marshall did improve his route-running, but what helped launch his career was having a quarterback willing to feed him the football regardless of coverage. Jay Cutler helped make him a star by targeting him 170 times in 2007. Harry only got 57 targets in his second year in New England. Having three different QBs didn’t help.
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This is where the matching with Justin Fields could be huge. As a rookie in 2021, the Bears quarterback ranked among the highest in the NFL regarding aggressiveness. His NFL Next Gen Stats’s aggressiveness percentage was 9th-highest in the league (17%). Those counted passes that were thrown to receivers with a defensive back within one yard of them. In other words, Fields wasn’t afraid to give his receivers a chance.
N’Keal Harry needs a quarterback willing to give him opportunities regardless of coverage. Marshall had Cutler. Fields is the same way. He isn’t afraid to take chances and trusts he can put the ball in the right spot for his guys to make a play. That is why this combo has a chance to work.
I’m definitely willing to give him a chance. It’s possible the Bears properly utilize his skill set, he lives up to his potential, and becomes the steal of the offseason. I just think we should pump the brakes on all of the optimism and be more realistic. I think the more likely scenario is that he remains the player he’s been thus far. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be rooting for him to do well. Not only because I love the Bears, but I think rubbing it in Belichik’s face would be the cherry on top. I just don’t think… Read more »
“Jay Cutler helped make him a star by targeting him 170 times in 2007.” Cutler wasn’t on the Bears in ’07. Neither was Marshall.
N’Keal Harry will see slot 1 on 1 because of Mooney being WR1 and the Patriots bus tag, if JÛSTIN F1ELDS gets time to throw the ball I believe he’s going to spread it around and everybody eats Red zone threats Komet, St. Brown & Harry. Deep threats / quick slants Mooney, Pringles & Jones Jr. Mismatch on the linebackers Edner & Montgomery. ✨🐻⬇️✨
Man idk about yall but this offseason feels like forever, just watching that clip got me pumped for this year
The problem with Harry in NE was that he and Belichick didn’t hit it off. Some guys make it in NE, some don’t but make it elsewhere.