N’Keal Harry’s entire tool box was on display during Arizona State’s 38-20 win over No. 15 Utah last year.
Red zone: Caught a three-yard touchdown on a quick slant.
Athleticism: Corralled a 23-yard touchdown on a back shoulder pass in which he out-jumped his defender.
Big play/speed: Turned a skinny post into a 61-yard touchdown by out-running his pursuit.
Harry had nine catches for 161 yards in the game, part of a 73-catch, 1,088-yard, nine-touchdown season that has him in the second-round conversation of next week’s NFL Draft. And Harry knows he has work to do to get better.
“There are obviously things I can work on that would make me a better player, but I feel like my toughness, the way I run with the ball, the way I catch the ball — those are things I can take with me to the next level,” Harry said.
Last month in Tempe, Ariz., Broncos general manager John Elway attended Harry’s Pro Day workout. Uncertainty about veteran ’ present (rehabilitating from an Achilles injury) and future (final year of his contract) could prompt Elway and Co. to add Harry to a young group that includes , and .
In three years for the Sun Devils, Harry played in 37 games and totaled 213 catches for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was a two-time first-team All-Pac 12 selection (2017-18).
At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, Harry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the Scouting Combine.
“He has a special quality and one you need in anything in life that you do: He competes,” Arizona State coach Herm Edwards said last year. “I saw that when I coached him in the Under Armour (High School All-America) game. … He’s a special player. He’s going to have a career at this. I mean, there’s no doubt.”
Harry, 21, was born in Canada, moved to the Caribbean and then to the Phoenix area. He picked up football and was a four-star high school recruit.
“I first started playing football when I was nine years old,” he said. “I always envisioned myself in this (situation). … I’m extremely passionate about the game.”
Harry stayed home to play at Arizona State, finishing with nine 100-yard games. Last year, the Sun Devils played Harry outside but also in the slot.
“The slot is a position I got very comfortable playing — there are a lot of different routes you can run so I really do enjoy that,” he said. “On the outside, you need more technique.”
At the Combine, Harry said he “truly” felt he was the draftap best receiver.
“I feel like I can do a bit of everything,” he said. “I can stretch the field. I can catch a screen and take it to the house. I feel like I can play anywhere. Wherever a team needs me to play, I can play at a high level.”
