Yes, the Chicago Bears traded for N’Keal Harry because they wanted to see if a fresh start might help jumpstart his fledgling career as a wide receiver. That was the primary motivation. Nothing wrong with that. Harry was a 1st round pick for a reason. He has pass-catching talent. A guy who is 6’4 with 33-inch arms presents an inviting big target for Justin Fields. However, don’t be fooled. The reasoning behind this move was motivated by another factor.
For all the talk about his shortcomings as a receiver, Harry established himself as one of the best run blockers at his position in the NFL last year. According to Pro Football Focus, he held an 84.7 grade on 174 run-blocking snaps. It isn’t a coincidence that the three best rushing performances the Patriots had last season saw him have the most snaps blocking. Harry can move guys out of the way when he puts his mind to it.
Here are some examples.
Harry was especially lethal last season when he cracked down the line of scrimmage to seal lanes to the outside. Here he helps double up the linebacker, giving Damien Harris two leading blockers against two defenders. With some hard running, he gets into the end zone. It wasn’t a highlight reel block, but it’s a taste of what the receiver can do in the Bears’ wide-zone offense. A system that will feature lots of runs to the edges.
If you’re a defensive end or outside linebacker, you’d best keep your head on a swivel when Harry is on the field. Watch him run Myles Garrett, who is 45 lbs heavier, entirely out of the play, allowing Rhamondre Stevenson a clear lane for the touchdown.
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He does the same thing to A.J. Epenesa here. The big defensive should have a clear line to Harris for a chance at a tackle for a loss. Then Harry lays into him, rendering him irrelevant to the entire play. Harris gets a few more blocks and is off to the races. These are the types of things most Bears receivers didn’t do last season. None of their starters had a grade higher than 57.9.
N’Keal Harry wants to be more than a blocker.
That isn’t a surprise. He is a wide receiver. He gets paid to catch passes. If he wanted to make a living as a blocker, he’d have become an offensive lineman. So when he arrives at Halas Hall for training camp two weeks from now, his motivation will be centered on finding chemistry with Fields. It won’t be an easy battle. Others will also be competing for the quarterback’s attention.
There can be no easing into this situation. N’Keal Harry needs to make a statement and make it fast. If he doesn’t show he can be a viable weapon in the passing game, then the Bears will likely relegate him to run-blocking duties. That isn’t a bad thing. It will still be a huge help to the offense.
The problem is schematic.
If Harry can’t prove himself a threat as a receiver, defenses will know the Bears are running every time he’s on the field. It will be interesting to see how Luke Getsy, a former wide receivers coach, will handle his development.
