Overview
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 213 pounds
School: Arizona State Sun Devils
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds
Bench press: 27 reps (tied for best among wide receivers)
Vertical jump: 38.5 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 2 inches
N’Keal Harry 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Few high school prospects at wide receiver were as sought after in 2016 as N’Keal Harry. Rated the top player at the position by Rivals, Harry garnered plenty of scholarship offers from top programs across the nation. But the native of Chandler, AZ in the Phoenix area decided to stay close to home, committing to Arizona State.
Harry made his presence felt immediately. He actually scored a 34-yard rushing touchdown in his debut against Northern Arizona. A week later, he caught his first touchdown pass in what turned out to be a high-scoring 68-55 win for the Sun Devils over Texas Tech. When all was said and done on his true freshman campaign, he garnered Freshman All-American recognition from Pro Football Focus, Campus Insiders and Scout. His 58 catches led all freshman wideouts and broke Zach Miller‘s school record for a first-year player.
As a true sophomore, Harry continued to consolidate his status as one of college football’s top wideouts. He accumulated 1,142 receiving yards, caught eight touchdown passes, and managed 82 total receptions which were tied for third-most in school history. Against Stanford, he even threw for a touchdown pass on a trick play. A year later, he put together a second-straight campaign of 1,000+ receiving yards while adding nine touchdown grabs. He earned First-Team All-Pac-12 accolades in both of his final two seasons in Tempe before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Strengths
- blessed with a prototypical frame for a wideout at the next level;
- nuanced route-runner who can keep opposing defensive backs guessing;
- immensely gifted playmaker after the catch;
- always looking for pockets of space upfield once the ball’s in his hands;
- explosive added gear that makes him tough to bring down in open space;
- reacts and adjusts to haul in poorly thrown balls;
- lined up in plus splits outside the numbers as well as in the slot;
- has all the makings of a possession receiver able to reliably move the chains;
- a trick play maven on end-arounds;
- brings a special teams element as he impressed on punt returns in 2018;
- no particularly concerning medical red flags.
Weaknesses
- needs to become more of a hands catcher as opposed to a body catcher;
- could do a better job separating against physical press-man coverage;
- route stems could use some added sharpness;
- has to prove he can run the entire gamut of the route tree;
- had some issues with focus drops in college;
- not the most imposing downfield vertical threat;
- must improve both as an in-line and downfield blocker.
NFL Comparison: Kenny Golladay
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Second round
Bottom Line
A player who lived up to the hype given expectations, Harry established himself as one of the best receivers to ever suit up for the Sun Devils. What really stands out about him is how dynamic he is after the catch. His vision, lateral shiftiness, and incredible burst make him extremely tough to take down in the open field. Those elements of his skill set make him worthy of day one consideration. However, there are concerns that skilled press corners can render him ineffective. And though there’s a lot to like about his route-running as a whole, his transitions aren’t as crisp as you’d like. All in all, though, Harry looks the part of a top pro prospect and there’s no reason he can’t step right in and contribute as an NFL rookie.
