Overview
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 203 pounds
School: N.C State Wolfpack
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.63 seconds
Vertical jump: 37.0 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 10 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.07 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.23 seconds
Jakobi Meyers 2019 Draft Profile
Jakobi Meyers was a three-sport star in high school and three-star quarterback coming out of Arabia Mountain High School in Georgia. He was the 54th ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation. Jakobi redshirted his freshman year in 2015 as a quarterback after undergoing knee surgery. A week before the 2016 season, the coaches decided to change his position to wide receiver. He played the entire season and added depth to the receiving corps, contributing 13 catches for 158 yards.
Meyers burst onto the scene in 2017 with 63 catches for 727 yards and added five touchdowns. He led the team in receiving touchdowns playing primarily out the slot. Meyers surpassed 100 yards receiving on three separate occasions and played his best game on primetime vs Clemson in a thriller. His progress from the year prior to now earned him the team’s Most Improved Player award.
In 2018 he broke 1,000 yards receiving joining fellow teammate, Kelvin Harmon. Meyers finished his junior season with 92 receptions, 1,047 yards receiving and four touchdowns. He was also voted first-team all-conference this season. Sharing the field with Harmon allowed for Meyers to be overshadowed at times. Despite not receiving the same attention as his teammate, he also offers a skill set that will translate well to the NFL
Strengths
- great size for slot receiver at 6’2″, 203 lbs;
- elite quickness and agility;
- comes back to the ball well at the top of the route;
- great strong hands, only 3.7 percent drop rate this season and catches well in traffic;
- rarely had the opportunity but showcased body control and ability to high point the football;
- great footwork and overall polished route runner that can create separation.
Negatives
- needs to drop weight when changing directions running routes;
- lacks elite speed and acceleration;
- limited route tree – only ran routes out of the slot and rarely downfield;
- never faced press coverage in college, no real experience playing on the outside;
- shows little ability to make defenders miss after the catch;
- rounds off routes at times – needs to be sharper.
NFL Comparison: Kenny Golladay
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Fourth to fifth round
Bottom Line
Meyers’ rise to prominence was overshadowed by his teammate Harmon who is receiving a lot of hype going into this draft. Meyers has a skill set that should attract many NFL teams. He has great reliable hands and can consistently move the chains. He did not test well at the Combine and that raised questions about his explosiveness. Meyers has never been a top-tier athlete but he makes up for it with his quickness and route running. He has a knack for coming back to the ball and making a first down catch on third down. He is very adept at creating separation in the quick passing game.
His biggest flaw going into the NFL draft is his lack of explosiveness. Front offices may question his ability to consistently blow by defenders and create separation. He didn’t run a broad route tree at NC State and he rarely ran routes past 15 yards. Meyers also failed to create yards on handoffs (10 attempts for -8 yards). He still may be an impact player in the NFL because of his route running and great hands. He is always able to move the chains which is very valuable in the NFL. He should be off the board in the fourth or fifth round.
