Rookie Rundown: Jeremy Ebert

Leading up to training camp we will be doing a "Rookie Rundown" of the Patriots 2012 rookie class to give you a beter glimpse of what each player is all about.  Today I am going to start with 7th round rookie wide reciever, Jermey Ebert.



Name: Jeremy Ebert
Drafted: 7th Round, 235 Overall
Position: Wide Reciever
School: Northwestern
Age: 23
Height: 5'11
Weight: 200 lbs

Getting To Know Jeremy Ebert-

Jeremy Ebert was selected by the Patriots in the 7th round 235th overall of the draft this year and played primarily wide receiver at Northwestern.  During his time at Northwestern he racked up 173 receptions 2,400 yards and 21 touchdowns.  In Ebert's senior season ALONE he racked up 75 receptions for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Not bad for an ex-high school quarterback. Ebert became an explosive weapon for Northwestern.  Coming from a small school he did not receive much attention nationally and slipped under the radar a bit. Jeremy wasn't invited to the combine but his stock rose a bit at his Northwestern pro day. 

When asked how he felt not being invited to the combine Jeremy said " Not getting invited to the combine kind of hurt, but I showed up today and showed them what I could do." 

Jeremy posted a 4.38 40 yard dash and bench pressed 225 16 times.  Ebert's vertical jump was 33 inches and his cone drill was recorded at 6.70 in the three cone drill which would have put him top 3 of all wide outs recorded at the combine.  Scouts said Jeremy looked smooth in his route running and caught passes cleanly.  Scouts also call Ebert a reliable possession receiver with good hands and remarkable focus to catch balls in traffic. Ebert officially signed with the Patriots May 17th agreeing on a 4 year pact worth 2.148 million with a 48,200 signing bonus.

My Take-

First off I can see why the Patriots would be interested in Ebert as he screams versatility.  The more you can do as a player the more valuable you become for the club.  Jeremy played all over at quarterback, running back and receiver in high school and college so he is a well rounded player. Jeremy reminds me a lot of Julian Edelman in that respect.  Both Julian and Jeremy have very similar skill sets and both were quarterbacks turned receiver.  Being a former quarterback turned receiver Jeremy has a good understanding what his role is in an offense which was an attribute to his success at Northwestern.

With that said, Jeremy has quite the uphill battle to even make the Patriots roster this season competing with Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Deion Branch, Dont'e Stallworth, and Julian Edelman. Looking at his film he appears to have solid speed and separation and displays great catching ability.  I came away impressed with some of his catches and he displayed some big play ability pulling in some balls that appeared un-catchable. Jeremy seemed fluid in his cuts however in the tape I saw he seemed to shy away from contact when lining up on the outside. Not sure if it was just the tape I saw but this is something to keep an eye on in training camp.

I think New England made a smart move in selecting Ebert as they need to try and develop a young receiver.  I thought it was a deep class at receiver and thought they could get a more talented receiver but Ebert did enough to win Bill Belichick's heart over.  My guess is he will make the Patriots practice squad and hone his skills there and see where that takes him next season.  I think at best, if he does make the 53 man roster he could contribute as a special teams player and get limited time at receiver but again that could all change with a strong camp.

Be sure to follow me on twitter @MikeOnofrio for more Rookie Rundowns leading into Training Camp!