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Redskins Saturday Spotlight: Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry

By Ian Cummings

TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver N'Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils walks onto the field during the first half of the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 42-30 (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver N'Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils walks onto the field during the first half of the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 42-30 (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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TEMPE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver N’Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils catches a five yard touchdown pass against cornerback Ron Smith #17 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver N’Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils catches a five yard touchdown pass against cornerback Ron Smith #17 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

N’Keal Harry Player Breakdown

For Arizona State junior receiver N’Keal Harry, there’s a lot more to like than not. At 6-foot-4, 220, he’s a very imposing player at the receiver position, and he’s no slouch when it comes to speed. He’s not a top-end speedster, but he’s fast enough, and he makes up for it with incredible elusion and explosion after the catch. He’s a very tough player to bring down.

Of course, you can’t get run-after-the-catch yards without, you know, catching the football. To do that, the process has to be complete. From the start of the snap to the whistle. For Harry, the process refinement is still in progress, but he has a number of tools at his disposal that will be very attractive for all 32 NFL teams, not just the Redskins.

Harry’s production matches the hype. In his freshman season, he caught 58 passes for 659 yards and five touchdowns, while also striking the end zone two more times on the ground. In 2017, his sophomore season, he emerged as the Sun Devils’ premier receiving threat, amassing 82 receptions, 1,142 yards, and eight touchdowns. Lacking production is one thing that might turn scouts away, and it’s one thing Harry doesn’t have to worry about.

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Harry’s most obvious strength, aside from his run after the catch ability, is his ability to high-point the ball and pluck 50-50 balls from defenders. He simply makes quarterbacks look good in those situations, and he has a very keen awareness of boundaries, whether it be on the sideline or in the back of the end zone.

Harry’s skills are reminiscent of Josh Doctson. He thrives as the go-to guy in close games, much like Doctson capitalized on opportunity in Seattle last season. Harry isn’t as explosive a vertical athlete as Doctson, but he offers more in other parts of the game. On top of all his skill, he’s a willing, physical run blocker who’ll help running backs get around the corner.

There are areas where Harry can improve. He shows flashes of crafty deception in his releases, but needs to be more consistent gaining separation. He doesn’t bring considerable burst out of his breaks, and his route running in general needs more polish. He knows where the seams of the defense are, but he needs to work on selling fakes and synchronizing his body. At just 20 years old, however, Harry has plenty of time to learn, and he already has a lot of things going for him.

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