Demario Douglas is wasting zero time in proving that he is meant to shine on the football field.
The 5-foot-8, 192 pound rookie Wide Receiver for the Patriots is generating a lot a buzz as of late, and rightfully so. At first glance, you wouldn’t believe the skillset that lies within the 6th round pick from Liberty University.
Make no mistake, Douglas more than fits the part after some impressive showings offensively, inside and out, showcasing his versatility in training camp.
Douglas smiled thinking about his future in the NFL. “I wanna be able to perform anywhere. Being versatile has always been in my game…Put me anywhere, I’m here to come play,” said Douglas.
One aspect of Douglas’ game that is certainly being noticed is his speed, something he attributes to going through multiple quarterbacks in college. “We had to do quick stuff. I feel like I started to adapt to it, so I just added it to my game,” Douglas explained.
Throughout the learning process of the Patriots offseason and first go-arounds at training camp, Douglas has paid close attention to teammate Marcus Jones, in addition to learning from wide receiver and kick return Coach Troy Brown. At 5’8, 188 pounds, Jones plays cornerback and is a return specialist with a strikingly similar build to Douglas.
“I watch everything that they do because they were successful. I need to see what they do to become successful,” said Douglas.
Douglas has gotten reps in with the first unit several times during training camp, which is a positive sign for the rookie. CLNS Media’s Taylor Kyles was at Patriots training camp, and highlighted how Douglas “continues to work with Mac Jones,”and is “being used in interesting ways.” His route running and short area quickness were strong points on contention.
Speed and versatility aren’t the only components of Douglas’ game that stick out. Another aspect that Kyles noted after observing a screen drill where Douglas displayed a “high-effort block,” was his level of physicality. Veteran safety for the Patriots, Jabrill Peppers, also praised Douglas for his toughness.
“He’s out there making plays, same thing you guys are seeing, but we saw it early on in OTAs. What surprised me the most is his physicality. He’s a smaller guy, but he’s tough as nails. So I think that’ll bow well for him,” said Peppers.
Already a fan favorite, Demario Douglas is soaking up every minute of training camp. When asked what his favorite moment was thus far he responded by saying, “Everything.”
Head Coach for the Patriots, Bill Belichick, acknowledged Douglas’ effort on day 4 of training camp saying, “he seems like he’s been pretty involved.”
“We’ll see how much role he can develop and he’s working at the returns and offensively, inside and outside. So, it’s a big jump for him from competition in college. But you know, he seems to be transitioning pretty well. He’s a smart kid. He picks things up well, so learns quickly. So all things that work in his favor. But we’ll see how it goes, you know, things get more competitive next week.”
Even with the high praise from his head coach, both Douglas and Belichick know that he and all the rookies have much to learn before the start of the NFL season. Douglas sits behind wide receivers Juju Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, and Kendrick Bourne. Luckily for Douglas, the Patriots are known to utilize quick, tough, and highly knowledgeable receivers.
So far, Demario Douglas is confidently making a name for himself, going from a 6th round draft pick to a potential must-see roster spot on the New England Patriots.
