Everyone that plays Fantasy Football is looking for the next unheralded super-star. We all have players like Drew Brees, Andre Johnson, Ray Rice and Calvin Johnson on our first round draft boards, but not everyone will have Falcons WR Julio Jones that high on their boards.
Well they should; WR Julio Jones is on the cusp of being the next Pro-Bowl NFL receiver. This is Jones' second year with QB Matt Ryan and Ryan has developed an unbelievable chemistry with Jones. In the pre-season thus far Jones has been unstoppable, in six quarters of three pre-season games Jones has recorded 13 catches for 240 yards and 1 TD. There is no reason to think his amazing pre-seaon performance won't transfer to the regular season. He is replacing Roddy White as the number one option on many of the Falcons pass plays.
Julio Jones was a five star recruit and the top rated receiver in the nation coming out of high school. He had a solid career for powerhouse Alabama and entered the 2011 NFL Draft a year early as a junior. Alabama under Nick Saban relies mainly on the running game and a stifling defense so Jones didn't put up huge numbers while in college.
But after an eye popping display of athletic ability at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine the Atlanta Falcons fell in love with Jones. The Falcons made a blockbuster trade with the Browns giving up five picks to move up in the 2011 NFL Draft from 27th to 6th overall where they selected Alabama WR Julio Jones. I would venture to say the Falcons have a lot invested in Julio Jones.
His Combine performance in itself was pretty amazing. Remember he's not one of those small, speedy, little scatback receivers that run blazing fast, but aren't big or strong enough to hold up in the NFL. Julio Jones is a big, strong, fearless receiver with with the strength, size and speed to embarrass almost any cornerback. At the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine Jones weighed in at 6' 3" 220 pounds and ran a 4.39 forty yard dash and his broad jump recording of 11' 3" was just two inches short of an all time combine best.
So Fantasy Football General Managers, when its time to conduct your Fantasy drafts, pass on Julio Jones at your peril, for he is a budding star and will almost certainly become one of the elite receivers in the NFL this season.
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