Categories: 1.2 Analysis
| On 3 weeks ago

Former 1st-Rounder & Ex-Viking Tries Out for Seahawks

By Dustin Baker

Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver turned tight end N’Keal Harry might see an NFL field this season after all.

Former 1st-Rounder & Ex-Viking Tries Out for Seahawks

Harry worked out for the Seattle Seahawks this week and could parlay the audition into a practice squad gig.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver N’Keal Harry addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center during 2023 Training Camp. Harry joined the Vikings in August of 2023 and previously played for the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears. Harry joined the NFL in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft.

KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted Wednesday, “The Seahawks worked out N’Keal Harry, Tyree Jackson, Tre’ McKitty.”

If signed, Harry would join this Seahawks TE group:

  • Noah Fant
  • AJ Barner
  • Pharoah Brown
  • Brady Russell

Fant, at the top of the ticket, missed last Sunday’s game, a wild loss to the Los Angeles Rams, because of an injured groin. Yes, one of those. Adding Harry to the practice squad would add TE depth for a Seahawks team that is 4-5 at the regular season’s midpoint.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports.

The Vikings dropped Harry two weeks ago when T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Risner joined the active roster following injury recoveries. Minnesota also signed linebacker Calvin Munson to the practice squad and chopped Harry.

Harry converted to tight end from wide receiver last offseason. Because Hockenson’s ACL recovery would bleed into the regular season, many envisioned Harry as a sleeper contributor, but that theory never caught on. The former 1st-Rounder received no targets in the Vikings’ passing game last year and hasn’t seen a regular season field in 2024.

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports.

Any move involving Harry will always be noteworthy because of his draft stock. Five years ago, the Patriots spent a 1st-Round pick on the Arizona State alumnus, and hefty expectations always follow such picks. Harry is no different.

Harry has tabulated 64 receptions for 714 yards and 5 scores in his five-year career, so he has some gameday experience. He hasn’t taken the NFL by storm since 2019, especially as a former 1st-Rounder, but he was more of a ‘big name’ to land with the Vikings than most folks expected in the summer of 2023.

Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Without Harry, Minnesota employs these tight ends:

  • T.J. Hockenson
  • Josh Oliver
  • Johnny Mundt
  • Robert Tonyan (Practice Squad)
  • Nick Muse (Injured)
  • Sammis Reyes (Practice Squad)

The Seahawks have a bye this week, allowing Fant more time to heal while hoping to get star wideout D.K. Metcalf back in the lineup, too, in Week 11. Seattle hits the road in 11 days for a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers and needs a win to stay afloat in the NFC’s crowded Wildcard chase.

The Vikings play the Seahawks in Seattle three days before Christmas. Minnesota hasn’t won a game in Seattle since 2006, losing five consecutive matchups in the city.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.

Dustin Baker

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

Tags: N'Keal Harry