Atlanta Falcons talk: Who will score the most touchdowns in the team’s receiving corps?

The last two years, the Falcons have spread their receiving touchdowns around a lot, with no player coming down with more than six over the last two seasons. That makes forecasting who will lead the team in receiving touchdowns somewhat tricky, but tonight, we’ll make an attempt.

The team has added two new receiving options who figure to get looks in this offense in rookie receiver Calvin Ridley and running back Ito Smith. Ridley could legitimately be a red zone threat, but I don’t necessarily expect him to become a major scoring threat in his first NFL season. That leaves veterans and, I suppose, the running backs.

My money is on either Austin Hooper or Julio Jones. Julio is capable of scoring double digit touchdowns if he and Ryan can hook up in the red zone, something that has been weirdly challenging over the last few years. Hooper has size, speed, and good hands and should be able to bring those to bear in the red zone in a way he didn’t consistently in 2018. This is a pivotal year for him, while Julio would likely love to score gobs of touchdowns and quiet the final remaining consistent criticism of his game. I’ll say the team’s leading receiver this year will wind up with eight scores, as I’m ever the optimist.

Who is your pick?