Following the departure of former first-round pick N’Keal Harry on Tuesday, I’ve decided to take a look at what’s happened to every Patriots pick from the 2019 NFL Draft.
N’Keal Harry – First Round – Pick 32
N’Keal Harry was chosen with the final pick of the first round by the Patriots which led to much excitement and optimism in the fanbase. The excitement stemmed from the choice of a player in a key position to try and supplement Tom Brady’s desire to have weapons at his disposal.
Unfortunately, it was clear by the end of his second year with the team that he was not going to live up to his Draft position and drifted down the depth chart. Along with his lack of production and being prone to injury, the writing was on the wall for Harry and he was eventually traded last week to Chicago for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2024 Draft.
In three seasons, Harry finished with 57 receptions – 598 Yards – 4 Touchdowns
Not that you need reminding, but the Pats took Harry above the following receivers in the class:
Deebo Samuel (R2/36) // A.J. Brown (R2/51) // Mecole Hardman (R2/56) // DK Metcalf (R2/64) // Diontae Johnson (R2/66) // Terry McLaurin (R3/76) // Hunter Renfrow (R5/149)
*Players in bold have been selected for the Pro Bowl
Joejuan Williams – Second Round – Pick 45
Joejuan Williams is another pick that has turned out to be a disappointment. Taken in the second round, the hope was for Williams to be a key contributor in the secondary, coming off a decent College career at Vanderbilt. In reality, he’s only been able to carve out a role on special teams and as a depth option at cornerback so far after three seasons in New England.
Like Harry, Williams could also be gone by the start of the 2022 season.
Chase Winovich – Third Round – Pick 77
Ah, what could have been.
Chase Winovich was an exciting pick out of Michigan and had a solid rookie year, recording 5.5 sacks and contributing on defense for a Patriots side that made it to a Wildcard matchup. His second year continued along the same lines, however, he managed to start 9/16 games, again recording 5.5 sacks, and looked to be establishing himself as a starter on defense.
Unfortunately, his third and final season on the team wasn’t great. Winovich didn’t manage to record a sack or start any of the limited 13 games he suited up for in a year that was hampered by injury and lack of favor with Bill Belichick.
Winovich was traded to Cleveland in exchange for LB Mack Wilson in March 2022.
Damien Harris – Third Round – Pick 87
After having a quiet rookie season that saw him touch the ball only four times, Harris became more involved in 2020, before taking the lead back role last year in 2021.
Harris is coming off a very productive campaign which saw him rush for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns during the regular season. With his rookie deal up at the end of this year, a decision will have to be made on his future.
With Rhamondre Stevenson on the roster and the Patriots taking two running backs in the 2022 Draft, it could be Harris’ final year in New England.
Yodny Cajuste – Third Round – Pick 101
Injury problems stopped Yodny Cajuste from participating in a Pats jersey until last season where he suited up for just 7 games.
He heads into Training Camp this year on the bubble to make the Patriots roster and will have work ahead of him, given the additions in this year’s Draft.
Hjalte Froholdt – Fourth Round – Pick 118
Froholdt, a Danish native who played College ball for Arkansas was taken by the Patriots in the fourth round, making him only the second Danish player to be drafted to the NFL (Morten Andersen was the first in 1982).
After getting injured in the final preseason game of his rookie year, Froholdt was placed on IR, before being waived by the team in November 2020, having never really made an impression on the offensive line.
He was claimed by Houston a few days later but never participated in a game, before being placed on their practice squad. He was later signed by Cleveland in October 2021 where he remains on the Browns roster.
Jarrett Stidham – Fourth Round – Pick 133
Stidham won the backup QB role behind Brady in 2019, leading to the release of Brian Hoyer. In 2020, Stidham lost out to Cam Newton for the starting job, again featuring as backup alongside Hoyer.
Following the arrival of Mac Jones, coupled with Stidham’s injuries in the 2021 campaign, it was only a matter of time before he moved on.
Stidham was traded to Las Vegas along with a late-round 2023 pick in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round selection. The deal reunites Stidham with his former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, who is now the Head Coach of the Raiders.
Byron Cowart – Fifth Round – Pick 159
Cowart suited up for five games during his rookie season and started all 14 games he suited up for in 2020. After missing the entirety of the 2021 season, Cowart’s status remains up in the air and will certainly be one to watch at Training Camp, if he’s there.
Jake Bailey – Fifth Round – Pick 163
Bailey de-throned Ryan Allen ahead of the 2019 season as the team’s new punter, proving to be a very useful pick for the team.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021, which increased his salary from $850k in 2021 to $3.9m in 2022, raising questions about his future on the team. I think he will stick around this season, with the team deciding on his future in early 2023.
Ken Webster – Seventh Round – Pick 252
Webster was selected out of Ole Miss late on in the Draft but failed to make the 53-man roster for the 2019 season.
He’s since spent time with Miami (2019-2020), San Francisco (2020), and the New York Jets where he remains on their roster.