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4 things Texans GM Nick Caserio liked about Patriots WR N’Keal Harry

Talent evaluation is a constant process; there are no off days or an offseason when it comes to improving an NFL roster.

One of the ways teams improve their roster is to look to the past or revisit players that were scouted during college visits and see if a change of scenery could help them achieve their potential.

With New England Patriots receiver N’Keal Harry requesting a trade, and with Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio previously having been the director of player personnel for that franchise, it only makes sense to ask the question if the AFC South club would be willing to acquire the former 2019 first-round pick from Arizona State.

Here are four quotes from Caserio about Harry on April 25, 2019, during the Patriots’ presser after the first round.

Harry was mature in his pre-draft visit

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

"We had some other interactions with him, but he came in and presented himself as a pretty mature kid, seems like a pretty smart kid," Caserio said. "So, I'd say all these players, regardless of where the come from or how much experience they have, it's an enormous transition that they're about to undertake on a lot of levels."

New England liked his college production

(Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

Harry produced 213 catches for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns in his three seasons on the field for Arizona State.

"He's been a productive player," said Caserio. "He has some physical attributes that are important to that position. There's some other good players that are up there, as well, so we just thought this was the player that made the most sense for us at the time."

The Patriots thought he could play the ball in the air

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

"Every player has his skill set and attributes that are specific to them," said Caserio. "Some players have certain qualities. I would say one of the things that he does well is he plays the ball in the air. I would say the coverage in this league is tight, regardless of the type of player or receiver that you are. The coverage is tight, so you're going to have to make some plays in some tight quarters — receivers have to do it, tight ends have to do it."

The Patriots thought he was a strong receiver

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

"He's a strong guy," Caserio said. "He's hard to tackle. He actually has a little bit of ability to just make people miss. It's one of the things that he's been productive doing. You get the ball in his hands and he's been able to make some yards. We'll see if that translates over to us here when we get him."

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