Belief Is N'Keal Harry Already Overcame His Biggest Issue Before Trade

Chicago Bears fans want to be excited about N'Keal Harry. He's a former 1st round pick at a position of great need for the team. Yet it is difficult to become overly engrossed in his arrival. That is because they know the wide receiver flopped in New England. He failed to cross the 600-yard mark across three seasons. If he couldn't find success with the Patriots, then it isn't easy to imagine that changing in Chicago. Experts have dissected what went wrong with Harry out east. Talent was never an issue with him. A 6'4 receiver with his length, power, body control, and hands should've been an effective target in the passing game the moment he stepped on the field. Some blamed his average speed. Others blamed his suspect route-running skills. According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, most familiar with the situation chalked it up to Harry being too young and not understanding what was expected of him.

"One source believed Harry had maturity issues that prevented him from putting in the work needed to get it all down. Another source felt Harry lacked work ethic and wasn’t fully committed. A third source believed Harry’s biggest issue wasn’t learning the offense — one of the reasons Belichick drafted Harry was his intelligence — and that his maturity issues stemmed from an inability to communicate with Patriots coaches effectively. Harry wouldn’t always respond when coaches would reach out to him. He didn’t develop healthy player-coach relationships in New England. Those communication issues eventually decreased Harry's opportunities, and the Patriots stopped actively trying to find a role for him in the offense."

It shouldn't be a huge shock.

Harry was 21 years old when the Patriots drafted him in 2019. That tied him for one of the youngest players in the entire class. Teams love targeting the younger players because it offers the best chance for a long career. However, there is often a trade-off. The youngest players can tend to be the least mature. Look at Darnell Mooney. He turned 23 in his rookie year with the Bears. Nobody ever questioned his maturity. It probably isn't a coincidence that Harry seemed to finally take a step forward when he turned the same age last year.

One source believed Harry showed maturity in 2021 with his willingness to go from “a first-round wide receiver to a lead blocker.” Harry played 328 total offensive snaps last season, and 174 came as a run-blocker. That 53% blocking rate ranked fourth among 129 wide receivers with at least 95 blocking snaps.

Sacrificing for the good of the team should never be overlooked. Harry could've easily pouted on the sideline until the Patriots traded him. Instead, he did the right thing by accepting a reduced role as a pass-catcher and working to improve his blocking. As a result, he became one of the best in the NFL at it. New England finished 8th in the NFL in rushing. Not only that, but Harry also finished with the best yards-per-reception mark of his career at 15.33. So there were signs of progress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFIhcfJM8-A&ab_channel=Bearlissimo

N'Keal Harry wants a fresh opportunity. He'll get it.

Experts believe he couldn't have asked for a better team to get traded to. Yes, the Bears aren't a good team right now. That isn't the point. Harry could've ended up on a roster already set at wide receiver. Not so in Chicago. Outside of Darnell Mooney, the offense has no proven hierarchy at the position. Byron Pringle and Velus Jones figure to play significant roles, but that is about it. The competition is wide open. His blocking alone gets his foot in the door. If N'Keal Harry can quickly connect with Justin Fields in training camp, he might be poised to have a serious role in the passing game. The motivation isn't lacking. Not only does he want to prove what happened in New England wasn't his fault, but it is also a contract season.

He needs to produce if he wants to earn a big second contract.

That is what makes the trade to get him so smart by GM Ryan Poles. At the very least, the Bears got themselves an excellent blocker for their outside-zone rushing attack. The team is in business if Harry regains his confidence as a pass-catcher.