Patriots draft profile: Tre Harris has all the tools to be a difference maker

The Ole Miss product projects as a Day 2 selection in this year’s NFL Draft.

Even with Stefon Diggs signed in free agency, the New England Patriots’ wide receiver group remains a work in progress. That is especially true on the perimeter, where the current depth chart is headed by Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and Javon Baker.

The jury is still out on how Boutte and Baker in particular will fare under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2025. But why they have some potential, the Patriots adding more developmental upside to the mix in this year’s draft would not come as a surprise. If so, Tre Harris is a name to watch.

Hard facts

Name: Tre Harris

Position: Wide receiver

School: Ole Miss

Opening day age: 23 (2/28/2002)

Measurements: 6’2 3/8”, 205 lbs, 78 1/4” wingspan, 31 7/8” arm length, 9 5/8” hand size, 4.54s 40-yard dash, 38 1/2” vertical jump, 10’5” broad jump, 9.23 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Louisiana Tech (2020-22), Ole Miss (2023-24)

Career statistics: 51 games (40 starts) | 2,226 defensive snaps, 82 special teams snaps | 328 targets, 220 catches (67.1%), 3,545 receiving yards, 29 TDs | 5 carries, 22 rushing yards (4.4 yards/carry) | 1 pass attempt, 0 completions, 1 INT | 4 kickoff returns, 26 yards (6.5 yards/return) | 15 drops (4.6%), 3 fumbles

Accolades: First-team All-SEC (2024), First-team All-Conference USA (2022)

A quarterback at Ovey Comeaux in Lafayette, LA, who had future first-round draft pick Malik Nabers as one of his targets, Harris was a two-star recruit coming out of high school. He decided to move to wide receiver upon joining Louisiana Tech, and over the next three seasons developed into a reliable pass catcher for the Bulldogs. Appearing in 31 games with 21 starts, Harris hauled in 106 passes for 1,529 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season, joining Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss squad and did not skip a beat. After going 54-986-8 in his first season with the Rebels, he went 60-1,030-7 in his injury-shortened redshirt senior campaign. When healthy, though, his production was nothing short of impressive: Harris averaged 5.7 catches per game at Ole Miss as well as 17.7 yards per catch and 100.8 yards per game.

He participated in the Scouting Combine after the draft, where he had a meeting with the Patriots’ brass.

Draft profile

Expected round: 2 | Consensus big board: No. 66 | Patriots meeting: Combine

Strengths: Harris is a well-built perimeter receiver, who offers a combination of height, weight and length that should translate to the pro level. While not a pure speedster, he has shown that he can stack cornerbacks vertically and be a productive deep field weapon. He tracks the ball well in the air, has good spatial awareness, and uses his above-average-sized hands to make receptions outside of his natural frame. His senior year averages — 17.2 yards per catch, 5.12 yards per route run — show what he is capable of.

The natural instinct might be to label Harris a “f–k it, Tre down there somewhere”-type of player, but he is more nuanced than just a deep-field demon. He knows how to create yards after the catch, gaining an average of 7.7 extra yards that way per reception in 2024; quickly turning from receiver to runner, he is surprisingly twitchy for a taller player and can both run away from defenders and evade tackle attempts. He will not go down without a fight either.

In general, Harris brings a bit of an edge to the X-receiver role. He does not shy away from contact when faced with press-man looks or asked to block in the running game, and has been one of the most productive wideouts in college football in contested catch situations: using the attributes described above, he hauled in 48.4 percent of such plays over his college career and 61.5 in 2024.

Weaknesses: Harris’ straight-line speed is more functional than threatening, with his 4.54-second 40-yard dash ranking only in the 35 percentile among wide receiver prospects. He does have a long stride and covers plenty of ground, but is more of a buildup runner than somebody who explodes out of his stance. As a result, he will need to refine his releases when going up against NFL-level press-man cornerbacks.

Harris’ route tree also was limited in college. Lining up mostly outside, he primarily was used on go routes, curls and post patterns; he did perform well on those routes, but there are questions about his ability to expand his repertoire. He also needs to improve his consistency running those routes, something that might be impacted by a lack of natural agility.

In addition, Harris missed significant time last season due to a groin injury. Clean medicals will be key.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Harris is well-suited to line up on the outside of the formation as either an X- or a Z-receiver. His build and ability to win contested catches suggest the former, his release package versus press points toward him potentially starting out as the latter. Regardless, he projects as a depth receiver who should compete against the likes of Kayshon Boutte and Javon Baker for a game day role from early on in his career.

What is his growth potential? If Harris can improve on the technical side of playing wide receiver in the NFL, he has a clear path toward becoming a starter in the league by as early as Year 2. His lack of pure high-end speed might limit how far he can take his career overall, but he has all the tools to become a difference maker at the next level.

Does he have positional versatility? As outlined above, Ole Miss used him in a rather limited role. Could he do more if asked to do so? Possibly, but his versatility at this point in his development is merely a projection and nothing that can be seen as a big selling point.

Why the Patriots? New England’s outside receiver depth chart appears to offer opportunities for a high draft pick to enter the mix and contribute for meaningful snaps right away. Harris’ profile points toward him being able to do so, while the presence of veteran Mack Hollins would allow him to fine-tune his technique behind the scenes.

Why not the Patriots? His injury history and rawness in some areas might be deal-breakers for the Patriots. The main issue, however, might be circumstantial: if New England picks a wideout earlier in the draft, the team would have limited need to also add Harris to the mix later on. They also might see the 38th overall pick as too rich an investment.

One-sentence verdict: Pairing Harris’ skillset and deep-field abilities with Drake Maye’s arm talent would make for an intriguing combination.

What do you think about Tre Harris as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.