The New England Patriots cruised to victory in their preseason opener, demolishing the Detroit Lions by a final score of 31-3. The Patriots had several stars throughout the game, but nobody shined brighter than undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers. The North Carolina State product had a fantastic game, recording six receptions for 69 yards and two scores.
Every year, the Patriots have an unexpected preseason star break onto the scene. From Brian Tyms to Austin Carr and Ralph Webb, New England always has an undrafted rookie defy expectations and look like a stud in the preseason. Unfortunately, most of these players don’t end up working out. However, Jakobi Meyers has what it takes to break the mold. Meyers has the tools to maintain success in the NFL, and he should be a Patriot for the foreseeable future.
New England Patriots Struck Gold With Jakobi Meyers
The most impressive thing about Meyers’ debut is that he earned each and every one of his yards. It’s not uncommon for receivers to get schemed open and accumulate stats in a way that doesn’t actually reflect their talents. This wasn’t the case for Meyers, as he legitimately won every route and didn’t require schematic assistance to make plays.
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What truly makes Meyers different from preseason heroes of the past is that he’s been fantastic ever since arriving in Foxboro. Tyms, Carr, and Webb all remained relatively quiet in training camp before randomly exploding in preseason action. This isn’t the case of Meyers, who actually earned first-team reps in practice prior to the game. He’s been consistent in practice, and the results have carried over into NFL action. This implies that his success isn’t a one-game fluke and that he actually is as good as he looked against Detroit.
The College Tape
Jakobi Meyers is so much better than the typical undrafted free agent. At 6’1” and 203 pounds, Meyers uses his large frame to overpower defenders and win at the point of attack. He has great ball skills, fantastic hands and a fearless play style which should translate to the NFL.
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Meyers’ skill set makes him a perfect fit to be something of a hybrid between Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. Obviously, Meyers is a dramatically different player than these two, but he’s capable of generating similar results. Back at NC State, Meyers excelled at running dig and out routes just past the sticks to move the chains. While Edelman uses his quickness and agility to win these routes, Meyers simply overpowers his defenders while his reliable hands ensure he holds onto the ball, regardless of coverage.
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This ability to win regardless of separation should play up in the red zone. As previously mentioned, Meyers doesn’t need to be open in order to make plays, which is obviously a great trait for red zone success. Meyers’ flashed his red zone prowess in college and put that ability on display in New England’s preseason opener.
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These skills have already translated to the NFL scene. While it is just the preseason, Meyers is already using his size to beat NFL-caliber defenders. He knows how to use every ounce of his frame and can make tough catches even when he’s about to get hit.
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Meyers won’t be as good as Edelman or Gronkowski, but he has the tools to be used in a similar manner. However, the most impressive thing about Meyers is his innate body control and ability to haul in anything thrown in his direction. Meyers had a series of absurd, jaw-dropping catches during his time at NC State which made him uncoverable in certain situations. In many ways, he was like a poor mans’ N’Keal Harry.
The Bad
Jakobi Meyers should have been drafted, but there’s a reason he wasn’t among the elite wide receiver prospects of the NFL Draft. Meyers doesn’t need separation to win his routes, but it’s still preferable to being covered. Unfortunately, Meyers didn’t separate all that much at the collegiate level. Additionally, Meyers has room to grow after the catch.
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The good news is that he already appears to be improving on his separation issues. Reports from camp indicate that Meyers is always open in practice, and he had separation on a good amount preseason catches. It’s obviously a small sample and it’s not against top competition, but it’s an encouraging sign nonetheless.
The YAC issue is still undetermined. Two of Meyers’ six receptions took place in the endzone, and he was brought down quickly on the other ones. Additionally, it’s hard to get a read on a players’ ability after the catch based on nothing but training camp practices.
Jakobi Meyers isn’t perfect, but he’s significantly more talented than Tyms, Carr, and the other preseason heroes of the past. The Patriots got an absolute steal in Meyers, and he has the potential to be an offensive contributor for years to come.
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