Former Arizona State standout WR N'Keal Harry traded to NFC team
Consider it a new lease on life for N’Keal Harry.
The former first-round draft choice has been traded from the New England Patriots to the Chicago Bears, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport. Harry is being sent to the Bears in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick, per Rapoport.
It’s a 7th rounder in 2024 going to New England. https://t.co/npGaDigEQh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 12, 2022
The Arizona State stud was the 32nd overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, but his first three seasons with the Patriots haven’t been smooth sailing. Harry played in seven games as a rookie, catching 12 balls on 24 targets for 105 yards and two scores.
He started nine games the following season and logged 57 targets, but had just 309 yards on 33 catches and two more scores. Last season, he made 12 appearances (four starts) for the Patriots and hauled in 12 catches on 22 targets for 184 yards. He did not find the end zone and was on the field for just 43% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps.
Beyond Darnell Mooney, Chicago’s wideout depth is precarious. Harry will compete with the likes of Byron Pringle, Velus Jones Jr., and Equanimeous St. Brown for touches in the offense. If he can recapture his form from his time in Tempe, the Bears could be getting a steal.
Harry posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in each of his last two collegiate years. For his career, he ended with 213 receptions for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging roughly 14 yards a catch. He was a freshman All-American in 2016 and then a two-time All-Pac-12 First Team selection in 2017 and 2018. He ranks third in program history for career receptions, third in career receiving yards, and fifth in career touchdown catches. Harry also holds program records for receptions and yards by a freshman.