New England Patriots: Jakobi Meyers needs to build off of 2019 performance
By Sam Minton
![EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 21: Jakobi Meyers #16 of the New England Patriots looks on against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 21, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 21: Jakobi Meyers #16 of the New England Patriots looks on against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 21, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7856a27ab8ad560b1b8accb13861b1abfda1f6f09fd7df66c04fc50dccd15cf1.jpg)
Jakobi Meyers had a decent start to his NFL career but he needs to be better next season if the New England Patriots want to succeed.
Jakobi Meyers really burst onto the scene and made a name for himself in 2019. The New England Patriots will need him to be even better in 2020.
Meyers was a relative no name entering 2019. He was another undrafted free agent that the Patriots gave a shot. Of course, like most of the undrafted guys New England sign, Meyers worked out.
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After a strong showing in the preseason, Meyers had 26 catches for 359 yards. Again pretty good for an undrafted rookie.
But Meyers wants to do better and feels like he will be in a much different position when he reports to training camp in 2020.
"“Mentally, I want to be levels ahead of where I was last year,” Meyers told Patriots.com writer Paul Perillo. “Understanding not only what we’re doing but also why we’re doing it. Earning trust to make the right play. I want to build on last year. It was a nice stepping stone, but I want to keep building and growing.”“I feel like I will be a lot further ahead,” Meyers said. “I didn’t know if I’d even make the team or what role I might have or where I’d be playing. I still have chip on my shoulder, like will I even be here? I’m staying ready for my name to be called. I need to make sure I give them a reason to keep me around.”"
The Patriots definitely need him to be better. Jarrett Stidham needs all the help he can get.
With Stidham at quarterback, I expect Meyers to get some more targets. Meyers didn’t have to struggle as much as N’Keal Harry did to get the ball. Still, you would have liked to see Meyers get some more targets.
The reason that Meyers made the final roster was because of his preseason performance and most of the time Stidham was the one throwing him the ball. If they can build on that chemistry Meyers and Stidham might become a duo that opposing teams dread going up against.
Meyers will likely be a lot more comfortable heading into camp feeling much more confident and relaxed. He won’t have to worry about just making the roster. All Meyers has to do is focus on getting better and getting to know Stidham.
Everyone seems to be down on the Patriots and their offense but they have the opportunity to surprise some people. We know that James White and Julian Edelman will step up to the plate, but who else will?
New England needs guys Harry, Sony Michel, and Meyers to reach their full potential. We have seen a guy lime Michel put up great numbers and we saw flashes of greatness from Harry. They just need to be more consistent.
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So it will be interesting to see how well Meyers does in his 2nd season with Stidham throwing him the ball.