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It feels like only yesterday where NFL fans debated who was the best wide receiver in the league. At one time, all three of Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, and Demaryius Thomas were up for new, record-setting contracts. Despite the heated debates, all three signed five-year deals for right about $70 million.
Five years later, we are still seeing debates about the best wide receivers in the league. Bryant and Thomas are long gone from the discussion, but Jones is a favorite and regular pick for the best wide receiver in the league.
To preview the 2020 NFL season, we asked more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help us stack the top 10 players at 11 different positions (sorry, special-teamers).... The objective is to identify the best players right now for 2020. This is not a five-year projection or an achievement award. Who’s the best today? Pretty simple.
Jones, of course, tops the list. We have spent nearly a decade describing Julio’s greatness and it never feels sufficient. He is just absolutely perfect in every way. Even the rankings suggest he is in a league of his own.
The expectation entering the voting was this would be close between Jones, Michael Thomas and DeAndre Hopkins. It wasn’t. More than half the voters selected Jones No. 1 overall. “He’s an avatar,” an NFL coordinator said. “There’s only one of him.”
Ah. That is our Julio. There was one interesting comment.
One coordinator said Jones is amazing but “only for 60 percent of the snaps.”
Is he sitting on the bench 40 percent of the snaps?
Also of note, Jones had at least one vote for the 7th best wide receiver in the league. DeAndre Hopkins (3) and Michael Thomas (2) had votes only as low as 6th, meaning Jones has at least one hater. For a real surprise, Odell Beckham, Jr. ends up at 4.
Congrats to Julio for earning yet another accolade even entering the 2020 season at age 31. He remains, by far, the best wide receiver in the NFL for yet another year.