Clemson WR Amari Rodgers Reveals Jaguars' Visions of His Potential Role
When a new staff takes shape in the NFL, there are a lot more questions than answers.
The coaches and front office can spout all they want during the offseason about what kind of players they want and what kind of schemes they want to run, but it isn't until we see them actually acquire players and take the field that we truly know what kind of team we will see in fall.
This is perhaps even more true for the Jacksonville Jaguars than for any other franchise appointing a new leadership regime. The Jaguars have a new head coach in Urban Meyer who has never before coached in the NFL, along with a first-time defensive coordinator and several other first-time college-to-NFL coaches.
As a result, it is always enlightening to see the curtain pulled back some when it comes to what the staff has in mind in terms of schemes, player usage, and more.
We have gotten some of these instances sprinkled here and there when it comes to Meyer and his staff, but this week brought an immensely interesting instance when it comes to this month's NFL Draft.
During an interview on 'Out of Bounds' with Kelly Gramlich of The Roar, the flagship station of Clemson Athletics, Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers singled the Jaguars out has a team that has stood out to him during the pre-draft process. To make the nugget even more interesting, Rodgers revealed the exact role the Jaguars see him in -- as a Percy Harvin-type player.
This isn't to say Rodgers is similar to Harvin in terms of sheer talent (Harvin is one of the most electric playmakers of this century), but it does say a lot about his potential usage in the NFL, especially in the lens of the Jaguars.
The Jaguars have added to the wide receiver room quite a bit already this offseason, signing Marvin Jones, Phillip Dorsett, and returner/receiver Jamal Agnew. But there are lots of reasons to believe the Jaguars aren't done adding to the position, especially considering they don't have many true slot receivers on the roster.
Rodgers is one of the most interesting slot players in a draft deep with them. Like Harvin, Rodgers wins with the ball in his hands, excels on underneath routes, and looks like a running back after the catch with his blend of speed and power. He isn't the same level of athlete as Harvin, but their usage at the NFL could be similar. Considering Meyer and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell both coached Harvin, it isn't surprising to see that the Jaguars could have a role like that in mind to add to the Jaguars' offense.
Rodgers is limited in terms of height and length (5-foot-9) and likely doesn't project as a receiver who can win on the outside, but that is okay. The Jaguars have three receivers who can play those roles in DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, and Marvin Jones, plus they have Collin Johnson waiting in the wings.
Rodgers is also an interesting fit for the Jaguars considering he was one of Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets in 2020. Lawrence will be selected by the Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick on April 29, so adding Rodgers would both fill a need on the Jaguars' roster and give Lawrence a familiar target to start his NFL career.
Rodgers caught 77 passes for 1,020 yards (13.2 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns last season, the most productive year of his Clemson career. We don't know if the next step of his career will be with Lawrence in Jacksonville, but we do know how the Jaguars view Rodgers and how they would deploy him.
