The New England Patriots need some help at the wide receiver spot, and the 2021 NFL Draft is said to be deep at the position. The team will likely look for some upgrades with their draft assets, and there's no surprise that they're focusing on meeting with wideout prospects.
And in, particular, it seems that they are showing an interest in Clemson WR Amari Rodgers.
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According to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe, the Patriots showed an interest in Rodgers at the Senior Bowl. And as Rodgers confirmed, the team recently followed up with him.
"I actually just interviewed with the Patriots’ receivers coach [Mick Lombardi] two days ago," Rodgers said in a recent interview with McBride. "I had a FaceTime interview with him … It went great, he’s a great guy."
Rodgers had a great year for Clemson in 2020 and emerged as one of the team's top receivers. He managed 77 catches for 1,020 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while working with presumed No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. All of those numbers were career-best marks.
After his successful season, Rodgers played at the Senior Bowl where he put together a terrific game and made an impressive touchdown catch in tight coverage.
Here's a look at that play, via the NFL Network's Twitter account.
That's a pretty impressive grab, especially considering that Rodgers is on the smaller size for a receiver (5-foot-10, 210 pounds). He would surely fit the mold that the Patriots have looked for in slot receivers in the pros and has good hands. So physically, he would fit in well with the Patriots.
And from an attitude standpoint, he sounds like a match as well.
New England Patriots
"I feel like I’m the hardest worker in this draft class. And I feel like every day I come to work, I’m trying to get 1 percent better,’’ Rodgers said. "I’m not trying to waste any days, because you don’t have too many days. Game could be taken from you at any moment, so I just come in every single day ready to work, trying to get better."
No days off. That's Bill Belichick's mantra!
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Speaking of Belichick, Rodgers sees a lot of similarities between him and Clemson's head coach Dabo Sweeney. And Rodgers thinks that will allow him to transition quickly to the Patriots system under Belichick if the team selects him.
"I can definitely see myself playing for Coach [Bill] Belichick," Rodgers said. "Because he kind of reminds me of Coach [Dabo] Swinney as far as discipline. Very hard and very focused and stuff like that. I feel like the Patriots and Clemson kind of relate to each other, so I feel like I would fit very well in the Patriots organization."
Will Rodgers end up being a target for the Patriots? We'll find out soon enough. But given that they've met with him twice, it certainly seems like the mid-round prospect could be in play at any point from the third round on.