New England Patriots receiver N’Keal Harry is expected to make his NFL debut in Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. The Patriots drafted Harry at 32nd overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, the highest Bill Belichick’s staff has ever selected a wideout in New England.
Harry started the season on injured reserve with an ankle issue. He returned to practice on Oct. 15 and was activated to the roster before a Week 9 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. And while he seemed on schedule to make his debut in that game, Harry was surprisingly inactive. Harry remained positive through the bye, which the Patriots surely used to continue preparing and acclimating him to the NFL.
WR N'Keal Harry is expected to make his #Patriots debut this afternoon vs the #Eagles. The first rounder has been practicing since October 15th (coming off IR) and was placed on the active roster the day before the #Ravens game but then didn't dress.
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 17, 2019
Harry is on a depth chart of receivers which includes Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski.
While Bill Belichick has been tight-lipped about Harry’s progress, Brady has said he loves the young wideout’s tenacity, but has pumped the breaks on the hype surrounding the young wideout.
“To ask me, and then put unfair expectations on a younger player, I don’t think that is helpful at all,” Brady said during an appearance on WEEI. “It is really up to each individual player. It is not just N’Keal because I like N’Keal a lot. Everybody’s role is earned and I think that is the mark of the Patriots and that is part of the culture. You have to come out here and you have to earn a spot and earn a role. You do that through practice, earning the trust of your teammates and your coaches that you can be talented when the moments are their biggest.”
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