Julio Jones will win the Rookie of the Year Award this season. Plain and simple, mark it down, put his name on the trophy.
Although many have criticized the Falcons trading so much to draft him, Jones will prove them right, have an explosive season and win the award. During the preseason, many other rookies have been hyped since the Draft, especially if they are named Cam Newton . Unlike Newton and other high-profile rookies, Julio Jones is the rookie with the greatest opportunity to succeed in his first season. Analysts have said that Julio Jones was “The Most NFL Ready Wide Receiver” in this rookie class and unlike other rookies, Jones is not expected to be the best player at his position on his team, which eases pressure a bit. Veterans Roddy White and Harry Douglas are already there and have been mentoring Julio during the lockout.
Obviously White will take DB’s away from Julio which will help, but don’t forget about Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner.
Gonzalez is a great veteran Tight End that will also open up defenses, creating match-ups that favor Jones.Matt Ryan will quickly check down and find Jones many times throughout games, much like Tom Brady finds Wes Welker in the slot.Jones can also go deep as we saw in his college days and that versatility will make him even more dangerous.
Add in a running game with Michael Turner to keep Defensive Coordinators honest and even an armchair Head Coach can see how Julio will have superior stats and big-plays compared to other rookies.
When looking at some of those other candidates for the award, consider this: A.J. Green will get double-covered without #85 and he has fellow rookie QB Andy Dalton throwing to him, not a good combination.
Jonathan Baldwin is already getting injured from fist-fights with his team mates.
Cam Newton will quickly realize the Panthers are not Auburn, just as last year Jimmy Clausen learned they were not Notre Dame.
Mark Ingram, Julio’s Alabama team mate, may be the most serious threat to the award.
Reggie Bush is gone and the New Orleans Saints , like Atlanta, are a balanced offense that will open up opportunities for their young play-maker.
Speaking of Alabama, we’ve already seen in Tuscaloosa that Julio has all the physical tools to succeed, but he also showed excellent route-running and footwork that can not be coached.
He also showed he can handle high expectations. When recruited to Alabama, he was expected to be a phenomenal player that would help roll the Tide to a National Championship…he did just that. He has the physical ability, mental make-up and veteran leadership all working in his favor. Now in Atlanta, the Falcons know the weapon they have and may even feel a bit pressured to showcase Julio more, just to disprove critics who questioned their Draft Day trade.
Julio Jones has high expectations and although he may not lead the Falcons to a Super Bowl this year, he will make fantasy owners and Falcons’ fans happy for years to come as the Rookie of the Year.