#3. Julio Jones– Time is really flying. We’re down to the final three players left. Have you ever looked at a football player and you sit there asking yourself how do guys go about defending that particular guy? That’s normally the question that pops up into the conversation about some football players. Last year, he debuted on the list as my second best receiver coming into the year and ranked eighth on my list. This year, he’s moved up a few spots. Julio Jones or the man they refer to as “Ju” within the organization checks in as my third best player on my list heading into the 2017 season and my top ranked wide receiver. He’s hands down the best in the business at his position. What can you really do with a guy who’s 6’3, built like an outside linebacker with the speed of a sprinter that can seemingly do it all? He can go short, intermediate, deep, moves after the catch and jump-ball situations, it really doesn’t matter. You name it, he can do it. He’s an absolute nightmare to stay in front of as a cornerback because you think you can jam him at the line of scrimmage, but he’s strong enough to handle the physical contact. He can play big and play small. He has the quickness to work outside and can cut back inside and has the shiftiness of a slot receiver once the ball is in his hands because a short gain can be turned into a big gain. The guys who have the task of defending him have stated they have nothing but respect for Julio Jones. He’s Matt Ryan’s go to guy for a specific reason. A week four game against the Carolina Panthers showed us what we already knew. Matt Ryan had a career day passing for the Falcons. He threw for 503 yards passing and Julio caught 12 passes for 300 yards, his career high and his best game as a pro. Since Calvin Johnson retired, Julio has continued that dominant and physical receiver trend and I think teams are beginning to defend him the same exact way that Megatron was defended. Guys are triple teaming and sometimes have extra guys line up on the side where he lines up and he still finds a way to come down with the football. It’s remarkable to watch. Julian Edelman may have made the biggest catch in the Super Bowl, but before that play occurred, Julio Jones had not only the biggest but the most impressive catch in the big game. Matt Ryan had been flushed out the pocket and he found his number one receiver running an extended drag route and he was able to come down with it. If he continues to play at the highest level, the sky is the limit for him.
