3 NFL teams that should take a gamble on N’Keal Harry trade

N’Keal Harry is looking for a trade out of the New England Patriots after two seasons, so which NFL teams should take a shot at the former first-round pick?

Wide receiver N’Keal Harry was quite productive over his final two years at Arizona State in 2017 and 2018. In 25 games with the Sun Devils, Harry caught 155 balls for 2,230 yards with 17 touchdowns and while averaging over 14 yards per reception. That’s a large reason why the New England Patriots selected him with the final pick of the first round in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Collegiate success, however, hasn’t translated to success in the NFL. In two seasons with New England, Harry not only has just 45 receptions for 414 yards and four touchdowns over 21 games played but the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder has only been targeted 81 times over that span. And now he’s looking for more opportunities and a new start elsewhere.

With reports circulating that Harry could be cut after training camp, the wide receiver’s agent formally requested that the Patriots trade his client:

Now, if the Patriots could just cut Harry, why would any NFL team want to make a trade for him? Well, if New England can get a late-round pick from a team that doesn’t want to risk one of the other 30 teams getting ahead of them either on waivers or in free agency, they would surely take that deal over losing him for nothing.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at three NFL teams that should be willing to take a gamble on trading for N’Keal Harry.

A N’Keal Harry trade is worth the flier to any of these 3 NFL teams

3. Houston Texans – At this point, what do the Texans really have to lose? While wide receiver is one of the only spots Houston has a viable playmaker on their current roster, it’s Brandin Cooks and rookie Nico Collins before a bunch of question marks. Why not then take a shot on a former first-round pick?

If Harry wants targets to prove that he’s capable of being a viable pass-catcher in this league, they should be available with the Texans. This roster is in bad shape, especially on defense. That means that presumed starter Tyrod Taylor is going to have to throw it a ton and Harry would offer him another big body to work with.

2. New Orleans Saints – For me, New Orleans is one of the biggest question marks as we enter the 2021 NFL season. With Drew Brees now retired, we don’t know what this offense is going to look like, including who will start at quarterback. However, beyond Michael Thomas, the wide receiver room is also a bit worrisome.

Given that Harry hasn’t proven anything in the NFL, this isn’t to say that he would be a solution to their lack of depth among pass-catchers. Yet, his status as a former first-round pick could make him worth bringing into the wide receiver room to see if he can step up and be a quality player that the Saints need a great deal to help out either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.

1. Detroit Lions – Much like the Texans, there isn’t much that the Lions have to lose at this point. With the Matthew Stafford trade and years of questionable moves previously, Detroit is going to be among the worst teams in the league this year. But even more of a concern is that the team has no one of consequence for Jared Goff to throw to.

N’Keal Harry would be a breath of fresh air among Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman, two veterans that are very much a case of spinning the tires in Detroit. Harry, in theory, offers a ton more long-term upside that a team in the Lions’ position would be wise to take a look at.