Minnesota Vikings sign Canadian receiver N’Keal Harry

Photo courtesy: AP Photo/Duane Burleson

The Minnesota Vikings have signed Canadian-born receiver N’Keal Harry.

The 25-year-old pass catcher had been a free agent since March 15 after the Chicago Bears opted not to re-sign him. He is the fourth former first-round draft pick in the Vikings’ receiving corps, joining Justin Jefferson, Jalen Reagor, and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Harry was originally selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He played only seven games as a rookie — starting five — due to injury and recorded 12 receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He also started the team’s playoff game and caught two passes for 21 yards.

The six-foot-four, 225-pound target’s best season came in 2020 when he dressed for 14 games with nine starts and caught a career-high 33 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns. His numbers diminished in 2021 when he made 12 receptions for 184 yards over 12 games with four starts. He was a healthy scratch in the final week of the regular season.

The Patriots declined Harry’s fifth-year option in May 2022 and traded him to the Bears in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He appeared in just seven games due to injury, making seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown.

In 40 career NFL games, Harry has caught 64 passes for 714 yards and five touchdowns. He earned over $10.2 million over the course of his rookie contract.

Harry was born in Toronto, Ont., before moving to the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a child. He was later raised by his grandmother in Arizona and attended Arizona State University for three seasons, catching 213 passes for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns over 37 career games.