Patriots Draft Wide Receiver N'Keal Harry At No. 32 Overall
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots' first-round pick is in, and for the first time ever under head coach Bill Belichick, it's a wide receiver.
The Patriots selected N'Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick.
The big-bodied Harry checks in at 6-foot-2, 228 pounds. He was highly productive in his three collegiate seasons, catching 213 passes for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns. In his final two seasons, he averaged 77.5 receptions, 1,115 yards and 8.5 TDs per season.
Here's what the NFL.com draft profile said about Harry:
Harry is a native of the island of Saint Vincent, moving to Arizona with his grandmother when he was very young. It was a national story when he returned to the Caribbean nation for the first time since coming to the United States to see his mother and sister in December 2017. It was a story because Harry had shown himself a future pro during his first two years with the Sun Devils. The top 20 overall high school recruit (2,715 yards, 25 touchdowns in his two years at Chandler High School) became ASU's go-to weapon as a true freshman, starting all 12 games and leading all freshman nationally with 58 receptions (659 yards, five TD). Harry was a first-team All-Pac-12 choice as a sophomore, leading the conference with 87 receiving yards per game (82-1,142, eight TD) as a 13-game starter. He was a first-team all-conference pick as a junior, as well, covering 1,088 yards and scoring nine times on 73 receptions (14.9 average) in 12 games. He chose not to participate in the team's bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Harry and Washington cornerback Byron Murphy have been friends since they both attended Marcos de Niza High School as sophomores.
The pick came at the end of Thursday's first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. It was their only selection of the first round.
The Patriots entered the night possessing 12 picks for the weekend, but just the one first-rounder. Having won the Super Bowl, that pick was slated at No. 32 overall.
The Falcons traded into the No. 31 overall spot to make a selection just before the Patriots ended the first night of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Falcons used that pick to select tackle Kaleb Mcgary out of Washington.
The Patriots franchise had not selected a receiver in the first round since Terry Glenn in 1996.
More to come...
