Getty Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons.
As an Atlanta Falcons fan, it never gets old hearing Julio Jones is ‘the best’ because it simply puts the ongoing debate over DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas, and Jones to rest.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks listed out the top five receivers in the game after breaking down some film over the years. Brooks put Julio Jones at No. 1:
“The 10th-year pro is the prototype at the position: an explosive track athlete with A+ size and strength,” Brooks said. “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.”
Michael Thomas fell at No.2 and DeAndre Hopkins landed at No. 3.
Hopkins Thinks He is the Best
During the Jalen & Jacoby show on ESPN Radio back in May, Hopkins was asked who he thought was the best receiver in the league and was quick to say it’s himself.
This sparked a heated debate on Twitter which also led to Jones winning out by a landslide so at this point he is just embarrassing himself.
Hopkins did make a valid point that he hasn’t had the chance to be the best he could possibly be because of his quarterback situation. Hopkins has gone through 10 different quarterbacks during his time with the Texans. Jones has had such a solid and reliable one but then again, it takes two to tango.
A handful of NFL analysts even think Falcons rising star Calvin Ridley will outscore Hopkins this season. Hopkins will have a quality QB heading to Arizona with Kyler Murray so this prediction seems bold but it’s definitely not impossible.
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Julio Jones is The Best, Sorry
The ongoing debate as to who is the best receiver in the league is funny because every time it’s asked a player always compares himself to Julio Jones. Antonio Brown said it back in March too.
Julio is his own breed. The only other player who you will frequently see him compared to is Calvin Johnson and rightfully so. You won’t see expert analysts comparing Hopkins or Thomas with Johnson.
Hopkins is talented, yes, but we have yet to see the kind of numbers from him that we have seen from Jones or Thomas.
Bigger Things On the Horizon for Jones in 2020
Jones is entering his 10th NFL season in 2020 and bigger things could still be on the horizon for him.
He has already accomplished some incredible record-breaking stats like being the fastest to reach 12,000 yards and having six 1,300 yards-plus seasons (only one behind Jerry Rice). This year is going to be even better for Julio considering the Falcons’ offense stars 11 former first-rounders. The best part is, Matt Ryan is still in his prime and Todd Gurley is entering the backfield but Jones is still Ryan’s No. 1 receiver until the others have gained his trust.
Last season Jones started all 15 games he played in catching 99 passes for 1,394 yards (14.1 average) and six touchdowns. The 2019 season marked Jones’ sixth straight season of 1,300 yards plus and the 31-year-old certainly has a lot of play left in him to hold the No. 1 position.
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