Amari Rodgers 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 210 pounds
School: Clemson University
Amari Rodgers 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Last year’s NFL draft wide receiver group was phenomenal, so this year’s crop has a lot to live up to. And they just might be able to do so. There are a lot of playmakers at the receiver position in the 2021 NFL Draft. One of the talented receivers in this year’s draft is Amari Rodgers, son of Tee Martin.
Rodgers made people take notice while at Knoxville Catholic High School where he had 3,498 receiving yards and 47 touchdowns. In his senior season in high school he averaged over 30 yards per catch and had 1,238 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.
His production and athleticism led to a number of scholarship offers. Many schools, including USC, Florida State, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee. But, after Rodgers had committed to play football at USC, Clemson came knocking and he ultimately decided to join the Tigers.
In four seasons at Clemson, Rodgers amassed 2,144 receiving yards on 181 receptions and found the end zone 15 times through the air. He averaged 11.8 yards per reception while with the Tigers. While Rodgers produced fairly early at Clemson he did suffer a torn ACL in March 2019 during spring practice. Somehow Rodgers returned to action in less than six months (average recovery time is eight to 10 months). That season he only had 30 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns. But in his senior season he bounced back in a big way and really showcased just what he is capable of. In 2020 he had 77 receptions for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns as Trevor Lawrence’s go-to receiver. He finished the season as a Biletnikoff finalist.
Strengths
- Great after the catch
- Stout lower body gives him good power and contact balance
- Can handle punt/kickoff return duties
- Returned from ACL tear in less than six months; shows great work ethic and ability to recover
- Great at altering his route speed which can throw off defensive backs
- Can hit a second gear and go after a deep ball
- Break away speed in the open field
- Good lateral quickness
- Strong hands
- Able to make tough catches over the middle through traffic
- Great spatial awareness against zone coverage
Weaknesses
- Needs to be more effective at separating underneath against tight man coverage
- Can sometimes rush through route fakes
- Shorter arms
- Upper body tightness
- Too many dropped balls in 2020 (six)
- Lacks size and length
- Limited route tree
NFL Comparison: Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, Randall Cobb, and Duke Johnson (if used as a pass catching back)
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans
Projection: second, maybe third round
Bottom Line on Amari Rodgers
Rodgers was an honorable mention All-AC selection in both 2019 and 2020 when he showcased his talent both as a receiver and returner. In 2020 he proved he is capable of being deep threat after he hauled in 19 catches 10+ yards downfield. Due to his size he will most likely be used in the slot in the NFL but he is more than capable of lining up out wide. However, if a team wanted to, they could also utilize Rodgers as a pass catching back. If the team that drafts Rodgers utilizes him correctly, he could be a versatile playmaker.
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