Undrafted out of N.C. State, Jakobi Meyers making most of time with the Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WTVD) -- He went undrafted out of N.C. State, but it hasn't taken long for Jakobi Meyers to turn heads in the NFL.
Through three preseason games with the New England Patriots, Meyers had been targeted 26 times, catching 19 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.
"Every day, you're got to be your best," Meyers told ABC11 after the Patriots' 10-3 preseason win Friday against the Carolina Panthers. "Because I know where I came from, I know my situation. I know I didn't get the call on draft day. I don't want to put anything on tape that's going to get me sent home."
Meyers has gotten a lot of first-team reps this preseason with the defending Super Bowl champs but didn't work in a live game with Tom Brady until Friday night.
The lack of chemistry showed a bit as Meyers didn't have a catch in the three attempts Brady threw his way.
"It kind of started off pretty rough for me, so I was just trying to bounce back," Meyers said.
He caught all seven passes thrown to him by quarterbacks not named Brady.
Meyers finished with seven catches for 74 yards, including a long of 19 against the Panthers.
"I feel like they're giving me opportunities to prove myself," Meyers said. "And I just have to keep earning it and earning it. And showing that I can hang around and showing that I can make plays."
Meyers, a converted quarterback at State, has made plenty of plays in the pros so far, something that's probably no surprise to Wolfpack fans who watched him catch 92 passes last year for 1,047 yards and four touchdowns.
In the preseason opener, Meyers led the Pats with six catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Detroit Lions.
He followed that up with another team-leading six catches for 82 yards in a win against the Tennessee Titans.
"It's a dream come true, definitely," Meyers said. "I mean, I could have been in a whole lot different places, but I'm here, playing for the Patriots, getting the opportunity to prove myself every day. No matter how I got here, I'm here, and I'm going to be glad for it every day."
With this type of production, Meyers could be "here" for quite some time.
