With the NFL turning to more three wide receiver sets or 11 personnel, teams need to have depth and versatility at the wide receiver position. Clemson’s Amari Rodgers doesn’t get talked about with the elite receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft for good reason. However, he is sneaking under the radar among people in the media. During his time at Clemson, Rodgers got overshadowed by Trevor Lawrence as well as elite wide receivers like Tee Higgins. However, Rodgers has the skill set to be a 10-12 year NFL starter.
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Player Bio
Name: Amari Rodgers
Jersey: #3
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Clemson
Class: Senior
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 210 lbs
Hands (13.42/15)
Rodgers has strong hands at the point of the catch. He doesn’t get cute and try to make impressive one-handed catches. When the ball was thrown behind him or over his other shoulder, Rodgers did a good job adjusting to the ball and bringing it in. However, he did have a few drops in the games watched, including where he looked to turn upfield before securing the ball.
Contested Catch (13.25/15)
He doesn’t have an elite catch radius and shouldn’t be counted on to make highlight catches Odell Beckham Jr. style. However, he will make catches in traffic by using his body to shield the defender. On third down in a tight window situation, his quarterback can make the tight window throw knowing Rodgers will get his hands on it.
Route Running (7.25/10)
While he didn’t route a very complex route tree at Clemson, Rodgers did a good job running his routes. He did a good job sinking his hips at the top of the route and exploding out of the break. When defenders got caught flat-footed, Rodgers would make them pay with a quick change of direction route. Whether it was a quick fake inside and then turn around outside or challenge the defender vertically only to break inside or outside, Rodgers was crisp in his moves.
Release/Separation (7.33/10)
Despite lining up in the outside and on the line of scrimmage at times, Rodgers was rarely pressed at the snap. He didn’t show an elite ability to chew up the separation quickly and challenge faster cornerbacks vertically like Tyreek Hill will. However, Rodgers comes off the line with enough burst and speed to be a threat when facing off coverage. Furthermore, he didn’t create a massive amount of separation against better man coverage. Because of that, he will likely need to play in the slot or off the line of scrimmage most of the time in the NFL.
Athleticism (7.25/10)
Vertically speaking, Rodgers is an average athlete at best. At 5’10”, he isn’t expected to win too many 50-50 jump ball throws. However, he can hurdle when defenders try to undercut him and has plenty of lower-body explosion. Rodgers does a good job contorting his body, whether it’s adjusting to the ball in the air or trying to make a defender miss in space.
Speed (7.67/10)
Again, Rodgers won’t consistently challenge defenders vertically. However, while he doesn’t have elite vertical speed, he is dangerous in the open field. Not only does he get faster with each step, but he can downshift and stop to let his blockers reset downfield before kicking it up a gear. In the open field, his speed shows better than on a vertical route.
Quickness/Agility (8.75/10)
This trait is Rodgers’ bread and butter. He repeatedly showed in the games watched an ability to stop and go within a third of a second. He can make defenders appear stuck in quicksand despite being within a yard of him when he makes a catch. In the NFL, his play-caller needs to utilize him in the screen and sweep run game.
Yards After the Catch (9.08/10)
Without a doubt, this is where Rodgers will make his money in the NFL. He has good open-field vision and can take any touch to the house with some help from his blockers. Furthermore, even on crossing concepts, Rodgers is dangerous after the catch. However, it’s not just his quickness and open field vision that makes him dangerous after the catch. When defenders try to tackle him low or get lazy in their tackling form, Rodgers has the strength to stiff arm them to the ground or low his shoulder and power over them. A smart offensive coordinator will mix in some carries for him like the Carolina Panthers did for Curtis Samuel last season.
Red Zone (3/5)
At 5’10”, Rodgers isn’t your typical back corner jump ball red zone threat like Mike Evans. However, his strong hands and ability to make a tight window catch keep him on the field inside the 10-yard line. Furthermore, he can be used on either a screen route or pick play in the red zone thanks to his yards after the catch ability and lower body strength.
Blocking (3/5)
In the games watched, Rodgers wasn’t a difference-maker when blocking. However, he looked for defenders to block as best he could. Given his size, he likely will never turn into an elite blocking receiver and may find himself off the field on early downs because of it. However, the desire to block is there, and he can be taught how to be a better blocker.
Player Summary
Rodgers is today’s typical slot receiver who can also play outside off the line of scrimmage. He is a dangerous weapon after the catch and can flip the field with his vision and quickness. His ability to shrug off weaker tackle attempts was impressive. Furthermore, he has experience returning punts and could fill that role in the NFL. While he is far from an ideal No.1 wide receiver, he is capable of being a team’s low-end No.2 wide receiver as long as they have other playmakers around him.
Ideally, the best spot for Rodgers would be with a creative offensive-minded coach, who will find ways to get the ball in his hands in space. Much like Deebo Samuel, Rodgers is a hybrid wide receiver/running back, and the NFL knows it as they asked Rodgers to take snaps at running back during his pro day. Furthermore, both receivers are more physical than given credit for. If used as a yards after the catch slot receiver/gadget player, Rodgers will make an impact early on as a rookie.
Final Grade (80/100): Late Second Round Pick
Player Comp: Deebo Samuel
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