Amari Rodgers Clemson WR 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Amari Rodgers isn’t an ideal receiver fit for most teams, but his unique ability may make him the perfect fit on some offenses. Rodgers moves like a running back with the suddenness of a receiver. He is a different kind of receiver, but that may attract certain teams.
Rodgers had to play behind both Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross for the majority of his Clemson career. Just this last season is where he became a more featured part of the offense and consequently broke out. His production jumped from a 500-yard receiver to 1,020 yards and 7 touchdowns on 77 receptions in 2020.
The Senior Bowl is where Rodgers truly made a name for himself. In receiving drills, Rodgers consistently showed off his separating abilities. What was unexpected is that he showed physicality at the catch point too. Out-muscling defenders is something we generally didn’t get to see at Clemson and was a refreshing sight.
Rodgers operates exclusively out of the slot. We saw Rodgers accumulate the most slot catches and the third most slot yards in all of college football. While he was schemed the ball multiple times throughout his career, he excels with the ball in his hands. Forcing the 7th most missed tackles makes him a weapon NFL offenses will want in space.
Not only is he shifty but he breaks tackles like a running back. So much like a running back that he took halfback snaps at his pro day. Measuring at 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds gives him the ideal size of a running back too. That same pro day gave Amari Rodgers the platform to show off his combine numbers. Benching 24 total reps put him in the 99th percentile of wide receivers. A 40-time of 4.51 proves the verticality component of his game we saw at Clemson. Rodgers is as versatile as they come and he can produce at a high level for certain offenses.
A team like the Baltimore Ravens is an almost seamless fit. Lamar Jackson and the run game force linebackers towards the line of scrimmage. A player with the skillset of Amari Rodgers who is essentially a running back can easily get into space across the middle. An RPO featuring Jackson, Dobbins, and Rodgers in space will be a nightmare for defenses.
