Former Alabama standout wide receiver Julio Jones has quite the NFL resume. Seven Pro Bowl selections, 2015 receptions leader, two-time receiving yards leader and named to the NFL 2010’s All-Decade team are all under his belt. However, some believe that other, younger, faces in the league are above Jones.
NFL.com’s analyst Bucky Brooks broke down his top-five wide receivers across the league, and it is headlined by none other than Jones
“The 10th-year pro is the prototype at the position: an explosive track athlete with A+ size and strength,” says Brooks. “Jones reached 12,000 receiving yards quicker than any pass catcher in NFL history (125 games) — yes, including Jerry Rice (142). He also boasts the highest career average in receiving yards per game in NFL history (96.2), logging 1,300-plus yards in each of the past six seasons. As a dynamic route runner with strong hands and rugged running skills, Jones remains the gold standard at the position.”
Other wide receivers to be named were Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans and Keenan Allen.
Though the Alabama-native may be 31-years old, he shows no signs of slowing down. Being the No. 1 receiver on the Falcons, while being surrounded by high quality talent like fellow Alabama product Calvin Ridley, is quite the feat.
In 2019, Jones recorded 1,394 yards off of 99 catches for only six touchdowns.
Brooks had mentioned his size, which should be a contributing factor to getting more looks in the redone and a higher number of touchdowns receptions, but that will likely change in 2020 as they added Todd Gurley to the backfield. The addition of Gurley should free up space for Jones to move around more freely.