NFL Expert Names Patriots Rookie Top 'Breakout' Candidate
New England Patriots rookie receiver Demario "Pop" Douglas was a name on the rise throughout training camp. The former sixth-round pick out of Liberty, who some teams may have overlooked due to his size at 5-foot-8, managed to make the Patriots' 53-man roster. Despite what many would expect from a player drafted as late as he, Douglas will play a potentially significant role for the Patriots.
With this in mind, the NFL Network's Peter Schrager recently included "Pop" in his annual top-10 list of "breakout" players for this upcoming season.
"He's had an awesome camp and a legit role in this offense," Schrager said. "Pop Douglas is going to be a name we're talking about this season."
Schrager noted that the Patriots coaching staff involvement in this past February's East-West Shrine allowed them to get a closer look at Douglas before using their sixth-round pick on him.
Jun 12, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (60) runs after making a catch at the Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
For a franchise that has a history of finding and developing smaller receivers, Douglas has the potential to follow a lineage of successes that has seen coach Bill Belichick and co. produce players like Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, and Wes Welker.
Like what attracted the Patriots to 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, Douglas's speed is one of the first traits evaluators notice about him. But it isn't only Douglas's sprinter speed that made him successful at Liberty; his shiftiness also helped him in the open field as he can run past and even make defenders miss.
But don't just take our word for it; even Douglas's teammates took notice of his ascension in camp.
“His quickness," Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones said about what makes Douglas tough to cover. "He knows how to stem. Getting out of his breaks, he doesn’t slow down. Some receivers in their rookie year slow down out of breaks, but he keeps it going.”
As the Patriots begin preparations for their season-opener versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Douglas is expected to be among a host of receivers who will be used this season.
