In an offense that has had some ups and downs this season, Jakobi Meyers has been one of the pillars of consistency for the New England Patriots. In the 22-17 win over the New York Jets, Meyers recorded ten receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown, which was scored on a crucial fourth and one. Since being signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Meyers has proved to be a true NFL caliber slot receiver.
C/O to patspulpit.com
Meyers played his college ball at North Carolina State University, where he started as a quarterback, much like past Patriot Julian Edelman. Meyers then made the switch to wide receiver after his redshirt freshman season and never looked back. Meyers went on to make 168 grabs for 1932 yards and nine touchdowns in his time at North Carolina State University.
Making the switch from quarterback to receiver in college was just a preview of the adaptability that Meyers would bring to the Patriots. In his almost four seasons with New England, Meyers has played with six different quarterbacks, (Brady, Newton, Hoyer, Stidham, Jones, and Zappe) but one would never be able to tell. It seems as if Meyers gets open and produces no matter who is under center. Meyers’ consistency regardless of the situation or personnel is truly something to marvel.
C/O to ncstate.rivals.com
In his rookie year, Meyers walked into a tough situation, with the receiver room containing names such as Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Antonio Brown (short-lived), Philip Dorsett, and first-round pick N’Keal Harry, among others. Despite the roster clog at receiver, Meyers was able to maintain his roster spot and even get some playing time, making 26 catches for 359 yards, and earning the trust of Tom Brady. Being a slot receiver, a lot of Meyers’ yards come after the catch, with him running quick slants and crossers, but as he has developed, he has also shown an ability to get downfield.
C/O to nbcsports.com
At least part of Meyers's reliability and consistency may be thanks to his family, more specifically his mother and his older brother. Meyers expanded on how his mother and brother were big influences in his life in an in-house interview.
" [Sports] were kind of my mom's big focus, either you were going to make it to college off of sports or you were going to have to go into the army. My older brother, he's the one who keeps me humble, if I dropped a pass, that would be the first thing I'd hear about 'not a good game, did your hands not come with you today?' [Today] if I still drop it, I'm like man I'm about hear about that one" said Meyers.
In his time in the NFL, Meyers has recorded 203 receptions for 2,369 yards and five touchdowns along with some pass completions, of course. In 2022, Meyers is shaping up to have one of his best seasons yet, with 35 receptions for 415 yards and three touchdowns, which is a new season high for him. Early on in Meyers’ career, he had trouble finding the endzone, with only two touchdowns through his first three seasons. Meyers is now in the last year of his contract, and he is certainly making a case for the Patriots to keep him around.
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