The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled with drops all season long, so nobody batted an eye when they traded for Jakobi Meyers at the November 4 deadline. Not only does he provide insurance at the position as injuries pile up but will also help the Jags address a glaring issue.
Meyers has one of the lowest drop rates in the league dating back to 2020. Couple that with the fact that he had his breakout season under Jaguars receivers coach Edgar Bennett when the duo was with the Las Vegas Raiders, and it's easy to see the former North Carolina State Wolfpack having an immediate impact in Jacksonville. General manager James Gladstone acknowledges as much after trading for him.
James Gladstone is confident Jakobi Meyers will help the Jaguars with the drops
James Gladstone met with the local media after the Jakobi Meyers trade and didn't hold back on praising Jakobi Meyers, going as far as saying that his superpower was "not dropping the football."
"You think about where we're at in terms of volume of drops, what's Jakobi's superpower? It's not dropping the football," Gladstone said via Ryan O'Hallaran and Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union.
During the exchange, Gladstone didn't rule out the possibility of extending Meyers, noting that the team's brass will assess whether he's a fit.
Meyers is in a contract season and had made it clear for a while that he wanted an extension, but the Las Vegas Raiders weren't interested in granting his request. He signed a three-year deal when the Lithonia, Georgia native joined the Silver & Black in 2024.
In Jacksonville, Meyers will have a prime opportunity to boost his stock ahead of 2026. If he is as sure-handed as he's been with the Raiders, he should have no trouble securing the extension he's been looking for. Whether he gets it from the Jags remains to be seen.
Related: Winners and losers from the Jakobi Meyers trade
Jakobi Meyers gives the Jaguars a reliable pass-catcher
Circling back to the drops, Travis Hunter and Brenton Strange were the only Jaguars without a drop rate north of 10.0 percent. Coincidentally, both of them are currently on the Injured Reserve. Brian Thomas Jr. leads the NFL with a concerning 10 drops. Dyami Brown is second on the team with five, while both Hunter Long and Parker Washington have four each. Meanwhile, Jakobi Meyers has logged a combined four dating back to 2023.
But aside from being a dependable pass-catcher, Meyers can play in the slot and the boundaries. He'll have a limited role while he soaks up the playbook, but that versatility to line up at multiple spots will give the coaching staff ample flexibility once he gets fully acclimated.
The bottom line is that Jakobi Meyer could turn out to be the piece the Jaguars were missing on offense. And if that's the case, James Gladstone will not have minded giving up fourth and sixth-round picks to trade for him. Heck, he will gladly give him a long-term extension.