N'Keal Harry

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N'Keal Harry
No. 13 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1997-12-17) December 17, 1997 (age 26)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Chandler
(Chandler, Arizona)
College:Arizona State (2016–2018)
NFL draft:2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 32
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:64
Receiving yards:714
Receiving touchdowns:5
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

N'Keal Harry (/nɪˈkil/, nih-KEEL; born December 17, 1997) is a Vincentian-Canadian American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he twice received first-team All-Pac-12 honors, and was selected by the New England Patriots as the final first round pick (32nd overall) of the 2019 NFL draft. Harry spent his first three seasons with the Patriots before being traded to the Chicago Bears in 2022. He joined the Vikings the following season.

Early years

Harry was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, before moving as a baby to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[1][2] His grandmother brought him to the Phoenix metro area, with the blessing of his mother, to allow for more opportunity.[3] Harry tried several sports as a kid; soccer, football, and basketball, among others. His grandmother had hoped he would choose a less dangerous sport, but agreed to let him play football.[3] He starred at Chandler High School after transferring from Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, earning five star recruiting honors from Rivals.com, and was noted by many recruiting services as one of the top wide receiver recruits in the country.[3][4] In his junior season, Harry caught 13 touchdown passes on 30 catches for 657 yards.[5]

College career

Harry chose to remain home and committed to Arizona State University despite recruiting efforts by Texas A&M, Oregon, USC, among other top-tier programs.[5] In the 2016 season-opening game against Northern Arizona University, Harry became just the ninth true freshman in school history to start a season opener.[4] In his freshman season, Harry posted 58 catches for 659 yards and five touchdowns. Additionally, Harry ran for 69 yards and scored twice, and completed a 46-yard pass of his own.[6] For his efforts in his rookie year, N'Keal was honored by Scout, Football Focus, and Campus Insiders as a Freshman All-American.[7]

During his sophomore campaign, Harry had 82 catches for 1142 yards and 8 touchdowns earning him First-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors.[8]

Harry's junior season began with media accolades, as he was selected to the 2018 Associated Press preseason All-American team.[9] On Saturday, October 27, he made one of the greatest catches in football history according to Colin Cowherd.[10] His acrobatic one-handed catch, along with a punt return touchdown, helped lead the Sun Devils to a win over the USC Trojans, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest receivers to don an Arizona State uniform. The following week N'Keal Harry scored three touchdowns in an upset over #15 Utah Utes.[11] After the comeback win against the Arizona Wildcats on November 24, he announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL draft.[12]

College statistics

Arizona State Sun Devils
Season Team GP Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg TD Att Yds Avg TD
2016 Arizona State 12 58 659 11.4 5 3 69 23.0 2
2017 Arizona State 13 82 1,142 13.9 8 13 65 5.0 0
2018 Arizona State 12 73 1,088 14.9 9 7 10 1.4 1
Career 37 213 2,889 13.6 22 23 144 6.3 3

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 2+38 in
(1.89 m)
228 lb
(103 kg)
33 in
(0.84 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.53 s 1.62 s 2.67 s 4.28 s 7.05 s 38.5 in
(0.98 m)
10 ft 2 in
(3.10 m)
27 reps 24[13]
All values from NFL Combine[14][15][16]

New England Patriots

2019 season

Harry was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the 32nd overall pick.[17] He was the second wide receiver to be selected in the first round that year, behind Marquise Brown (Baltimore Ravens, 25th overall).[18] Harry was also the first wide receiver that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick drafted in the first round during his tenure with the Patriots[19] and the first wide receiver the Patriots drafted in the first round since Terry Glenn in 1996.[20] On May 14, 2019, Harry signed a 4-year deal with the Patriots worth $10.1 million featuring a $5.3 million signing bonus.[21]

On September 2, 2019, he was placed on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury he sustained during training camp.[22] On November 2, 2019, Harry was activated off injured reserve.[23] On November 24, 2019, Harry caught his first career receiving touchdown off a 10-yard pass from Tom Brady in the 13–9 win over the Dallas Cowboys.[24] During a Week 14 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, Harry caught a short pass and ran into the endzone, seemingly scoring a touchdown on the play. However, Jerome Boger's referee crew ruled him out of bounds and the Patriots could not challenge the ruling. Harry left the game with a hip injury after this play. In Week 15, Harry caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown, and rushed two times for 22 yards in a 34–13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.[25] As a rookie, he appeared in seven games in the regular season and totaled 12 receptions for 105 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.[26]

2020 season

In the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, Harry finished with 5 receptions for 39 yards in the 21–11 win. In week 2, Harry finished with a career-high 8 receptions on 12 targets for 72 receiving yards against the Seattle Seahawks. On a week 4 Monday night game against the Chiefs, Harry recorded his first touchdown of the year on a pass from Jarrett Stidham, finishing the game with 3 receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown.

2021 season

On July 6, 2021, Harry requested to be traded from the Patriots. In a statement from his agent, Jamal Tooson, it is stated that a fresh start "before the start of training camp" would be the best for Harry.[27] In the preseason, Harry suffered a shoulder injury and was ruled out for four weeks. He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2021. After the release of Cam Newton, Harry switched his jersey number from #15 to #1.[28] He was activated on October 2.[29] In Week 10, a game against the Cleveland Browns, Harry caught a 26-yard pass from backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. The Patriots won 45–7. In Week 17, Harry was benched and made a healthy scratch.[30]

The Patriots declined the fifth-year option on Harry's contract on May 2, 2022, making him a free agent after the 2022 season.[31]

Chicago Bears

On July 12, 2022, Harry was traded to the Chicago Bears for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL draft.[32] He was placed on injured reserve on September 1 with an ankle injury.[33] He was activated on October 10.[34] Harry made his season debut on October 24 against his former team, the Patriots.

Minnesota Vikings

Harry signed with the Minnesota Vikings on August 6, 2023.[35] He was released on August 24.[36] He was re-signed to the Vikings practice squad on September 4.[37] He was signed to the active roster on October 11, 2023.[38] He was released on November 28, 2023.[39] He was re-signed to the practice squad on December 4, 2023.[40] Following the end of the 2023 regular season, the Vikings signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.[41]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2019 NE 7 5 12 105 8.8 18 2 5 49 9.8 18 0 0 0
2020 NE 14 9 33 309 9.3 30 2 2 0 0.0 2 0 1 1
2021 NE 12 4 12 184 15.3 43 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1
2022 CHI 7 0 7 116 16.6 49 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
Total[42] 40 18 64 714 11.2 49 5 7 49 7.0 18 0 2 2

Postseason

Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2019 NE 1 1 2 21 10.5 14 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0
2021 NE 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
Total 2 1 2 21 10.5 14 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0

References

  1. ^ Jones, Jonathan (February 26, 2019). "N'Keal Harry Draws Motivation, Strength From His Grandmother and Her Sacrifices". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  2. ^ "Vincentian athlete heading to the NFL". Searchlight. November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Craig Morgan (September 21, 2016). "N'Keal Harry carries the honor and expectations of his family, nation". Arizonasports.com. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  4. ^ a b N'Keal Harry. "N'Keal Harry - 2016 Football Roster - TheSunDevils.com | Arizona State University Athletics". TheSunDevils.com. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Five-star WR N'Keal Harry commits to Arizona State | SI.com". Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  6. ^ "Arizona State University Athletics". TheSunDevils.com. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  7. ^ "ASU's N'Keal Harry named to Scout Freshman All-America Team". 12NEWS.com. December 19, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  8. ^ "Pac-12 Football All-Conference Team Announced". Pac-12. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  9. ^ "2018 AP Preseason All-America team: Clemson's D-line, Wisconsin's O-line are well-represented". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  10. ^ "Colin Cowherd on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  11. ^ "N'Keal Harry". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  12. ^ "Arizona State WR N'Keal Harry declares for 2019 NFL Draft". Arizona Sports. November 26, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  13. ^ "Leaked Wonderlic Test Scores NFL Draft 2019". thebiglead.com. April 22, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "NFL Draft Prospect Profile – N'Keal Harry". nfl.com. March 1, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  15. ^ "Arizona State WR N'Keal Harry : 2019 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". NFLDraftScout.com. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  16. ^ "N'Keal Harry 2019 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  17. ^ "Patriots draft Arizona St. receiver N'Keal Harry". Providence Journal. April 25, 2019.
  18. ^ "2019 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "2019 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  20. ^ "NFL draft: Patriots' unusual N'Keal Harry pick already has Tom Brady excited". Associated Press via New York Post. April 26, 2019.
  21. ^ Teope, Herbie (May 14, 2019). "Patriots, 1st-round pick N'Keal Harry agree to contract". NFL.com. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  22. ^ Kyed, Doug (September 2, 2019). "NFL Rumors: Patriots Re-Sign Demaryius Thomas, Place N'Keal Harry On IR". NESN.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  23. ^ Gordon, Grant (November 2, 2019). "First-round WR N'Keal Harry activated by Patriots". NFL.com. NFL. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  24. ^ "Pats hold Cowboys' No. 1 offense without TD in 13–9 win". ESPN. Associated Press. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  25. ^ "Patriots' rookie first-rounder sees only two snaps, leaves with injury". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  26. ^ "N'Keal Harry 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  27. ^ Ortenberg, Andrew (July 6, 2021). "Patriots WR N'Keal Harry Requests Trade". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  28. ^ "Patriots Claim RB/WR Malcolm Perry Off Waivers from Miami; Place WR N'Keal Harry on IR; Sign Three Players to the Practice Squad". Patriots.com. September 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "Patriots activate WR N'Keal Harry to the 53-Man Active Roster; Elevate DB Myles Bryant and LB Jahlani Tavai to the Active Roster". Patriots.com. October 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "Patriots' N'Keal Harry: Inactive Sunday". CBS Sports. January 2, 2022.
  31. ^ "Fifth-year option tracker for first-round picks from the 2019 NFL Draft". NFL.com. April 25, 2022.
  32. ^ Shook, Nick (July 12, 2022). "Patriots trade WR N'Keal Harry to Bears for 2024 seventh-round pick". NFL.com.
  33. ^ Mayer, Larry (September 1, 2022). "Roster Moves: Bears put Harry on IR, sign two to practice squad". ChicagoBears.com.
  34. ^ Mayer, Larry (October 10, 2022). "Roster Move: Bears activate N'Keal Harry off injured reserve". ChicagoBears.com.
  35. ^ "Vikings Sign Receiver N'Keal Harry; Place James Lynch on IR". Vikings.com. August 6, 2023.
  36. ^ "Vikings Sign Former Ram Jake Gervase". Vikings.com. August 24, 2023.
  37. ^ "Vikings Sign N'Keal Harry to Practice Squad, Release Alan Ali". Vikings.com. September 4, 2023.
  38. ^ "Justin Jefferson Hits Injured Reserve as Vikings Make Roster Moves". Vikings.com. October 11, 2023.
  39. ^ Peters, Craig (November 28, 2023). "Vikings Activate Justin Jefferson, Waive N'Keal Harry". Vikings.com.
  40. ^ "N'Keal Harry: Back with Minnesota".
  41. ^ Peters, Craig (January 8, 2024). "Vikings Sign 10 Players to Future Contracts". Vikings.com. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  42. ^ "N'Keal Harry: Career Stats at NFL.com". www.nfl.com. Retrieved September 20, 2020.

External links