With injuries mounting, the Jacksonville Jaguars needed help at wide receiver at the trade deadline. They ended up acquiring Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a pair of draft picks. Right off the bat, Meyers had an impact.
Even though the former North Carolina State Wolfpack had just a few days to prepare for the Houston Texans, he managed to haul in three receptions for 41 yards. And with Jacksonville not being able to get rid of the injury bug, Meyer's arrival has gained even more relevance in Week 11. Just recently, Trevor Lawrence talked about how important the seventh-year receiver has become in the Jacksonvile offense.
Trevor Lawrence heaped praise on new Jaguars receiver Jakobi Meyers
Trevor Lawrence met with the local media ahead of the Las Vegas Chargers game. He said that Jakobi Meyers did a great job of learning the Liam Coen system, pointing out that he's looking forward to building off the Texans game.
"It was great. I was impressed just how he handled himself the whole week preparing himself to go play and was asked to do more than I think a lot of guys would have been able to handle on such short notice," Lawrence said about Meyers (4:33 mark). "I think he got here basically Wednesday, and was ready to play on Sunday. And our system isn't the easiest to learn, and he did a great job and was able to play a lot of snaps for us. So he did an awesome job. Excited to build on that this week.
Lawrence continued, "I think he brings some great things to the table. As far as obviously, his hands, his route running abilities, really physical, you can block, can run the whole route tree, is good with the ball in his hands after him, and he's, he's a really good player, and I'm excited just to continue to grow with him."
As Lawrence noted, Meyers is as sure-handed as they come. He has one of the lowest drop rates in the NFL dating back to 2020. On top of that, his willingness to block was on full display against the Texans. When you add the fact that the Lithonia, Georgia native had no trouble learning their offensive system, it's easy to see why he's become a key contributor for the Jaguars.
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The Jaguars will need Jakobi Meyers to have an even bigger impact vs. the Chargers
As encouraging as Jakobi Meyers was against the Texans, he may need to have a bigger impact in the Chargers game. Brian Thomas Jr. is dealing with an ankle sprain and isn't a lock to play. Similarly, Parker Washington has a hamstring injury and was limited in practice. There's the chance both of them will suit up against Los Angeles, but if they don't, Meyers will become the team's WR1 by default. Then again, this isn't uncharted territory for him.
With Davante Adams leaving the Raiders last year, Meyers became their top target in the passing game. He ended up logging a career best 1,027 yards on 87 catches. Similarly, he led Las Vegas in receptions before he was traded to the Jags, so he's definitely proven that he can deliver.
The Jaguars are dealing with a myriad of injuries at the worst possible time of the season. A win against the Los Angeles Chargers will keep them in a position to make the playoffs, but their odds will suffer a massive drop-off with a loss. That's why they'll need Jakobi Meyers more than ever to step up.