College coach of former Patriots first-round pick offers interesting reason for NFL struggles
With the 32nd pick of the 2019 NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry at least partially due to Bill Belichick’s connection with Harry’s college coach, Herm Edwards.
Edwards and Belichick had an extensive history, as they were both head coaches in the NFL from 2001-08, and they spent the first six seasons of that span in the same division together.
Harry miss most of his rookie season due to an ankle injury that he suffered in training camp, and he never seemed to get on the right page with the rest of the offense, including quarterback Tom Brady.
The Patriots kept Harry for only three seasons before trading him to the Chicago Bears for a seventh-round pick. He ended up playing just 33 games for New England and recording 57 receptions for 598 yards and four touchdowns.
Edwards, recently speaking with Tyler Dunne of “Go Long,” shared his thoughts on why Harry never panned out during his time playing for Belichick.
“He had too many followers, man. That’s what killed him. That poor kid,” Edwards said. “He had hanger-on’ers. And it was like, ‘C’mon, N’Keal.’ Because talent-wise? He’s got enough talent. He’s a big, strong physical receiver to catch the ball. And then he went to New England. That was the worst place for him to go because it just didn’t fit. That didn’t fit him.
“Talent sometimes can be a curse. I’ve always said that. If you don’t use it correctly, it could be a curse to you. You’ve got so much talent and you think, ‘I got this.’ You ain’t got it. Because the problem is, you’re going into a league where everybody’s got talent and you’ve got to work at it. You’ve got to have work ethic. You’ve got to focus in on football. Football’s got to be the No. 1 thing. It can’t be what football provides you.”
Harry is still in the NFL, after spending the 2022 season with Chicago (seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in seven game) and the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings (just 23 offensive snaps). He signed back with Minnesota on a reserve/future contract back in January.
The pick could be considered a large part of why Belichick is no longer employed by the Patriots, as it was the largest example of his inability to draft differences makers in the twilight years of his tenure.