Bears trade for former Patriots first-round pick WR N’Keal Harry

The Bears have traded a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Patriots for wide receiver N’Keal Harry, NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo reported on Tuesday.

Update: The Bears have officially announced this acquisition, with the corresponding roster move that long snapper Antonio Ortiz was waived.

Harry, 24, was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft coming out of Arizona State. He was a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 weapon with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2017 and 2018. The 6-foot-4, 228-pounder has struggled to catch on in the NFL, having tallied just 57 catches, 598 yards and 4 touchdowns in his 3 seasons with New England.

Though it remains unlikely Harry lives up to his expectations as a first-round pick just 3 years ago, he’s still a young wide receiver with size who should have a fighting chance at making the Bears’ roster. Some who follow the Patriots expected him to be released in training camp, but Chicago’s decision to trade a future late-round pick for Harry secures that they land the formerly highly-touted prospect instead of taking the risk of letting him hit the open market.

Aside from Darnell Mooney, the Bears have arguably one of the thinnest wide receiver rooms in the league. The likes of Byron Pringle, Velus Jones Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown are among those likely to compete for touches in the offense, so Harry has a chance to redeem himself in a new organization that doesn’t have a deep room at his position. The former Sun Devil also brings some size to the roster, along with ability after the catch.