80 Prospects in 80 Days: Clemson WR Amari Rodgers
Each day leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, we will take a look at prospects that should be on the Carolina Panthers' radar. We will look at roughly eleven prospects per round to give a better idea of potential draftees beyond just the first round.
Here's our schedule for the next 80 days:
1st Round: Feb. 8th - Feb. 21st
2nd Round: Feb. 22nd - Mar. 6th
3rd Round: Mar. 7th - Mar. 18th
4th Round: Mar. 19th - Mar. 29th
5th Round: Mar. 30th - Apr. 8th
6th Round: Apr. 9th - Apr. 18th
7th Round: Apr. 19th - Apr. 28th
Prospect No. 29: WR Amari Rodgers
College: Clemson
Height: 5'9" Weight: 210 lbs
Draft range: Early-mid 3rd round
Analysis: Rodgers has a very unique build for a wideout. He's a short, stocky receiver that has a very similar body type to that of Panthers running back Mike Davis. Typically you think of small receivers as being extremely fast terrific in the open space. For Rodgers, that's not necessarily the case. He's more of a physical receiver that has success making contested catches or catching the ball in traffic. With Robby Anderson and DJ Moore doing their thing on the outside, the Panthers will need to have somebody who can do damage over the middle of the field. Rodgers fits what they're looking for but he has a lot to work on before he can become a threat to an NFL defense.
Analysis from Lorenz Leinweber of NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated:
The short but thick slot receiver looks more like a running back than a wide receiver and plays that way with the ball in his hands.
At 5-9, 210 pounds, Rodgers has a low center of gravity, aiding his contact balance and making him a tough task to tackle. He has quick feet to make cuts, plus a mean stiff-arm, the ability to hurdle low-tackling defenders, and playmaking ability after the catch. Rodgers became a better route-runner as his confidence grew in 2020.
He shows the ability to change directions at steep angles without losing much speed, thanks to his flexible ankles, making him dangerous on out routes. He can separate quickly from the slot with his wiggle at the top of the route. Underneath route-running is another strength of his, as he gets in and out of his breaks smoothly and suddenly.
Unfortunately, he lacks the quick burst to gain even more separation after the break, making him somewhat reliant on the quarterback hitting him on time. Rodgers is quicker than fast, taking quick steps like a sewing machine without covering too much ground in a straight line, although he is not prohibitively slow and has shown that he can win down the field.
His hands are hit or miss, while he has made great catches that he laid out for, his drop issues come through in almost every game. Operating mostly from the slot, Rodgers has not faced a lot of press coverage but does have the quick feet to create separation off the line. Partly due to his lack of size, he is not a good blocker despite showing the competitiveness required to succeed in that area of the game.
Rodgers projects as a slot receiver who can add a spark to an offense with his run-after-catch ability and should be used on screens and end-arounds. He can handle return duties as well. As a true wide receiver, he will have to continue winning underneath as he will face better athletes that will prevent him from winning vertically as much.
If he can clean up some of his drop issues, he has the skill-set to be trusted in a substantial role for an offense. No matter where he gets drafted, his team will get a quality football player who can help them in multiple ways.
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