FOXBOROUGH -- In 2020, Jakobi Meyers led the Patriots with 729 yards receiving in only 14 games.
This came as a bit of a surprise considering he was an undrafted rookie the year before and still relatively new to the position. (he was a college QB), but a tireless work ethic paid off.
Fast forward to this past offseason, the Patriots went out and added veteran wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, but as preseason game No. 1 approaches, it still feels like Meyers is the Patriots' top option at the position.
According to NESN's Zack Cox, over the last six competitive practices, Meyers has caught 22-of-23 passes from Cam Newton and Mac Jones in 11-on-11 work.
Pretty good.
Meanwhile, Agholor has struggled to stay on the field of late and Bourne has been decent, but has mixed a few drops in here and there. While he may not be the flashiest player, Meyers certainly is consistent.
“I feel like I showed enough to keep me around for a third year,” Meyers said Tuesday after the in-stadium practice. “But I don’t feel like I proved anything yet, honestly. I still feel like I’ve got a long way to go. That was just a taste, an appetizer, honestly. I didn’t really do enough to say, ‘Yeah, I’m solidified. I don’t need to play in the preseason.’ Or, ‘I’m solidified, I don’t need to go as hard as the other guys are going.’
“I’m still trying to show everybody how hard I work, how good I can be, and hopefully, I’ve still got a lot of room to grow.”
The tight ends figure to be targeted most in this offense, but certainly don't sleep on Meyers.