Former Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones is set to enter season No. 10 in the league, all with Atlanta. the 31-year old shows no signs of slowing down.
In 2019 he led the Falcons in yardage and receptions with 1,394 yards off of 99 receptions for six touchdowns.
While there is plenty of debate among NFL fans who the best wide receiver is – some claiming Saints’ Michael Thomas, others believing it’s Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins – PFF believes that Jones is the top receiver in the league.
The Alabama product not only ranks as the No. 1 wide receiver, but also as the No. 3 best player in the NFL.
So this leads us to ask the question: What will Jones be able to accomplish in 2020?
Here are some stat predictions for Julio Jones as we get closer to the start of the 2020 NFL season:
Targets & Receptions – 145 tgts / 90 yds
Jones was one reception away in 2019 from hitting triple digits for the season. With Calvin Ridley expected to assume a greater role, while still being WR2, we could see a slight production drop due to lower targets and a greater volume going towards Ridley.
A lower work load may also be the case given Atlanta’s recent acquisition of running back Todd Gurley. A strong, established run game could mean a greater presence in the backfield and more snaps going to Gurley.
Overall, a season total that results in only nine fewer catches should not be concerning to fans of the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.