Coaches at all levels of Jaguars receivers Jakobi Meyers’ football journey rave about him … for good reason
Jacksonville Jaguars won Jakobi Meyers trade, now must re-sign him
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 5-1 since they acquired Jakobi Meyers from Las Vegas. The record and his production makes that the best deadline trade.
- Jakobi Meyers was initially focused on playing baseball until he joined the junior varsity football team as a sophomore.
- After switching from quarterback to receiver at N.C. State, Meyers became a standout player for the Wolfpack.
- Meyers has become a key trade deadline acquisition for the Jaguars, contributing to their winning season and playoff push.
Jakobi Meyers was convinced the right athletic path to inevitable professional success was playing shortstop in baseball. Possibly go to college. Definitely get drafted. Absolutely reach the majors. Positively sign a big contract.
Football? Not really.
But then a junior varsity game at Arabia Mountain High School in Stonecrest, Ga., changed Meyers’ course, a course that now includes playing receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars in their push to the playoffs.
A sophomore in 2012, Meyers was sitting in the bleachers watching his younger twin brothers Jamari and Jabari play and he was underwhelmed by their team’s quarterback.
“I just said, ‘I’m going out there tomorrow just so I can throw to them,’” Jakobi said recently during an interview with the Times-Union. “I didn’t expect to start a football career out of it.”
But start something he did, the start of something that has carried all the way to this season. Meyers is arguably the best NFL trade deadline acquisition this season in helping the Jaguars qualify as the one of the biggest surprises in the league with a 10-4 record. Meyers, 29, has 27 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns in six games.
“He’s one of my all-time favorites,” Jaguars receivers coach Edgar Bennett said. “I’ve been fortunate to be around some really, really talented players because of all of them are like-minded and after the same goal — be the best version of themselves and they just don’t want to win, they want to be a champion.”
Meyers is a free agent in March 2026 and expressed his desire to stay in Jacksonville during an interview, but first up is helping the Jaguars make a playoff run.
“The excitement is growing because we’re winning,” he said.
’I can get you to the league’
Stanley Pritchett, a nine-year NFL player at fullback, was named the head coach entering Meyers’ junior season at Arabia Mountain. Pritchett was immediately impressed by Meyers’ athleticism on the practice field, but also knew baseball was a priority.
“I went to talk to his mom and said, ‘I think football will be Jakobi’s ticket (to the next level),’” Pritchett said in a phone interview with The Times-Union.
Meyers began that year as the back-up, still learning the intricacies of the quarterback position. Sure, he had the athletic tools, but everything else needed to be smoothed out so he could run the offense. The starter was injured around midseason and in his first start, Meyers was 16-of-32 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-29 win over Mays.
Arabia Mountain didn’t lose again that season.
“The Legend of Jakobi Meyers was born,” said Pritchett, now the coach at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta.
Meyers totaled 38 passing and 14 rushing touchdowns in his final two high school seasons and chose N.C. State over a late push from Florida to play quarterback.
Upon signing with the Wolfpack, Meyers was told 2015 would be a redshirt year. In turn, he showed admitted immaturity by rationalizing redshirt year into off year. He wanted to reset his mind and body. Wanted to experience college life without the pressure of competing for playing time.
“I had been playing sports my whole life,” he said. “I got (to N.C. State) and right away, I didn’t take it seriously. I was like, ‘I’m redshirting. I finally get a break. I’m going to take this time off to enjoy the year. I know I can play. When it’s my time to go, I’ll go.’
“That was a terrible decision to attack it that way. I wish I could have that back, but I learned a lot.”
Meyers learned how to work, how to earn — and keep — the trust of others, how to lead and yes, how to follow. He wasn’t THE guy like at Arabia Mountain. He was A guy at N.C. State. A pivot was required for him to play it arrived in two forms: A renewed focus and a position change to take better advantage of his natural athletic ability.
The Wolfpack returned Ryan Finley at quarterback in 2016 so during spring practice, receivers coach George McDonald created a new lane for Meyers.
“Coach McDonald said, ‘If you ever want to come over to receiver, I can get you to the league,’” Meyers remembered. “I was like, ‘Stop playing (with me).’”
Meyers’ quarterback days at N.C. State were over.
“We knew Jakobi was really dynamic with the ball in his hands and we wanted to use his athleticism,” McDonald told the Times-Union in a phone interview. “I always thought if he was going to be an NFL player, it was going to be at receiver.”
Meyers’ experience as a high school quarterback benefited him as a college receiver.
“He understood space and timing and how to present himself open to the quarterback,” said McDonald, who is the receivers coach at Ole Miss and will soon join Lane Kiffin’s staff at LSU. “
In three years (2016-18) for the Wolfpack, Meyers caught 168 passes for 1,932 yards and nine touchdowns. His best year was his final season, when he ranked seventh nationally with 92 catches (for 1,047 yards).
After his redshirt junior year, Meyers declared for the draft. Next stop, NFL. But again, not how he envisioned.
Draft weekend ‘gut punch’
Meyers knew his name wouldn’t be called in the first round or even rounds 2-3.
“I was hearing maybe fourth round,” he said. “I definitely didn’t hear anything about going undrafted.”
The thought of going undrafted began to crystalize when Meyers’ agency called him early in Day 3 (rounds 4-7).
“They said, ‘If nobody takes you …’” he said. “I said to my family, ‘OK, if they’re thinking that already, there’s a chance I won’t be drafted.’ It was crazy.”
It got crazier. As the draft wrapped up, Meyers considered offers from the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. The Patriots offered more guaranteed money, but with a caveat: He had 15 minutes to make a decision.
Meyers chose the Patriots and one added layer personified the approach that would help him thrive. He would compete against anybody, no matter their draft, experience level, salary cap hit.
The Patriots drafted receiver N’Keal Harry in the first round and had veterans Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, Mohamed Sanu and Josh Gordon under contract.
Meyers led the Patriots with 20 preseason catches to make the team, followed by 26 catches in the regular season (tied for fifth on the team).
Quarterback Tom Brady moved onto Tampa Bay in 2020, replaced by Cam Newton and then Mac Jones. Meyers had 59, 93 and 67 catches over his final three years in New England.
As a free agent in 2023, Meyers signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Raiders, reunited with Josh McDaniels, his first offensive coordinator in New England.
The Raiders’ receivers coach was Bennett, who first met Meyers while coaching him at the Senior Bowl.
“When he was able to come join the Raiders, what we knew we had was a true football player in every sense,” Bennett said. “People refer to it as the ‘Dawg Mentality,’ and he has that as far as his approach. He’ll block, he’ll do the little things, he’ll do the dirty work and then he can separate at the line of scrimmage as a route-runner and he is a sure-hands catcher, and has ability to run after the catch.”
Meyers had financial and roster security and a no-doubt role, but upheaval was on the way and it didn’t really stop until he was traded to the Jaguars. McDaniels was fired after eight games, replaced by Antonio Pierce. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was benched, replaced by Aidan O’Connell. The 2023 season featured the trade of receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets and another housecleaning of coaches and upper management.
“I think that took a toll on him,” Pritchett said. “Everybody in this sport wants to win. The money is good, but you want to be in the playoffs and win a Super Bowl.”
Said Meyers: “In any job, if you get new management every year, it’s going to be hard. Good things take time. Yeah, you’re losing, but that could be a foundation being set. But then you have to re-pour the foundation every year with so many changes. It was just tough.”
So tough that Meyers had enough in August.
’I would love to be here’
Bennett doesn’t do social media, but he did hear about how, amid contract extension talks, Meyers requested a trade out of Las Vegas. As the Jaguars’ season progressed and the Raiders’ season fell apart, Bennett had to think about a potential reunion with Meyers, right?
“Amen,” Bennett said with a laugh. “Obviously, I didn’t have any control over it, but I was certainly praying that it would be something we would consider. And then things got moving.”
The Jaguars had a need at receiver because projected No. 1 Brian Thomas, Jr. was in a sophomore slump, $10 million free-agent signee Dyami Brown was equal parts injured and ineffective and rookie Travis Hunter was splitting time on offense and defense. Hunter sustained a season-ending torn right lateral collateral ligament in practice on Oct. 30. Three days later, Meyers played against the Jaguars. Two days after that, the Jaguars acquired him for 2026 fourth- and sixth-round draft picks.
Since Meyers’ arrival, the Jaguars are 5-1 entering their game at Denver on Dec. 21. Ask any competitor — winning is liberating.
“You could tell he has a newfound energy knowing he was in a more positive situation,” receiver Tim Patrick said. “He was going through some things (in Las Vegas) and there was probably some negative energy. To have a fresh start and just play football is nice.”
Meyers has fit right in and made too many nice plays to count. He leads by example. When he speaks up, there is a point to be made. He will block in the run game. He will catch the football in high-traffic/high-collision areas of the field. And he will beat a defender with nuanced route-running.
An obvious question, even with three regular season games remaining and possibly the playoffs: Does Meyers want to stay in Jacksonville? He is scheduled to be a free agent in March 2026, but by giving up two draft picks, the Jaguars clearly don’t view him as a half-season rental.
“I try not to (think about the future), but of course, it creeps in,” Meyers said. “I would love to be here, but I understand the business of football. I gave a lot of control to my agent (in 2023) and said, ‘Just get me a lot of money and I’ll go play football.’ Now, I just want a good situation and win games.”
Meyers’ Jacksonville Experience so far has been a good situation (he’s making catches) and winning games. Expect the partnership to continue into the future.
Contact O’Halloran at [email protected]
