If anyone was interested in entering the mind of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, we got a chance Wednesday. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who worked for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, posted some of Belichick’s old scouting notes.
One of the most interesting tidbits from his notes was what he looked for in a wide receiver. He certainly has a specific type of player he is looking for. When reading his notes for the ideal wide receiver, Patriots second-year wideout N’Keal Harry comes to mind. Harry was drafted with the last pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Frankly, it’s interesting to think of all the Patriots’ receivers through this lens.
“#1 has to be able to get off (the line of scrimmage) whether (with) size, speed, quicks or any combination of the three, then has to be able to catch, can improve hands to some degree,” Belichick wrote. “Has to be able to run disciplined routes, not necessarily smart, just disciplined, have to get where they’re going (and) how they’re getting there. Cannot do his own thing. Receiver needs good running ability after the catch, want to hit the receivers on the run (and) let them run with ball either over, elude or by with speed. Speed only enters the equation in relation to players’ ability to escape the (line of scrimmage). Good leap and timing are more important than speed — need good upper body strength and quickness. Frail guy without good quickness is dead. A mismatch type guy, quick, elusive, big, physical type guy or any combo of those qualities can be your third receiver.”
I think you’ll enjoy this… We were given this handout during a scout school from my time with the Ravens. Coach Belichick has held true to almost all of this over the years. pic.twitter.com/pWB3oqo5JU
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 31, 2020
Harry fits this description perfectly. For one, he showed that he could be a good route runner. We saw him show flashes of it during the game against Kansas City. There is no doubt that he has speed, but he also has the physicality to run defenders over, just like Belichick was looking for.
Perhaps the biggest part of the scouting report that relates to Harry is the ability to have good leap and timing. In particular, we have seen him show his athleticism on balls thrown towards the back of the end zone.
It will be interesting to see what he does in his second year. His biggest problem started in the first sentence: “#1 has to be able to get off (the line of scrimmage) whether (with) size, speed, quicks or any combination of the three.” Harry struggled to get off the line of scrimmage — that’ll be the first point he’ll need to improve this offseason.
If he can do that, Harry should figure to have a huge role in the New England Patriots offense, and he is about to show exactly what he can do. Belichick saw something in the wide receiver. Now, it’s up to him to deliver.
[vertical-gallery id=83258]