Jakobi Meyers Earns High Mark in PFF's WR Rankings

A frustrating season for Patriots wide receivers didn't prevent Jakobi Meyers from proving his worth. What will his future look like in New England?

The New England Patriots are done for the season, which leaves fans and analysts plenty of time to speculate about the team's next moves. 

Although it's no secret that Patriots receivers were overlooked this season, second-year wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was ranked 25th on PFF's final 2020 receiver rankings. 

Here's what they had to say about the young wideout:

"Meyers was sneakily one of the most productive wide receivers in the league despite putting up a goose egg in the touchdowns column due to Josh McDaniels pounding the rock in the red zone. The former UDFA generated 2.24 yards per route run, 10th at the position and second among second-year wide receivers behind only A.J. Brown." 

With veteran Julian Edelman out for the majority of the season, Meyers was left with a much bigger responsibility. Especially since N'Keal Harry did not perform as well as some thought during his second season in the NFL. 

Meyers was the most targeted receiver for New England, even though he took 236 fewer snaps than Damiere Byrd. Although this season was mostly spent on the ground and out of the backfield, Meyers proved his worth and his potential in the future. 

There are some questions that need to be answered in order to get a better idea of what the Patriots offense will look like next season, more specifically, if Meyers will remain a good fit. Will Cam Newton remain in New England, and if so, will he have a better understanding of the complicated playbook? Will the team go an entirely different route in regards to a quarterback? Will Julian Edelman return and stay healthy? Should the team draft another receiver? Will they grab one in free agency? 

What do the answers to these questions mean for Meyers? 

Assuming Edelman returns next season at 100 percent and the team does not draft or trade for an elite tight end or wideout, Meyers will likely be one of the go-to receivers next season. 

There have been rumors that Newton and the Patriots will part ways, even though it seems that Newton would like another shot to prove he can live up to the high expectations that come with the Patriots jersey. If he stays, a receiver like Meyers - who finished the season with 59 catches and 729 receiving yards - may not be able to progress on his great second-year performance. 

It is still too early to tell what the Patriots will do with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But it could very well influence Meyers' position on the team.