NFL Rankings: Vincent Jackson and the 5 Best WRs in the NFC South

By (Correspondent) on May 29, 2012

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Wide receiver Vincent Jackson signed with the Buccaneers in the offseason, supplying a team without an offensive weapon with one. 

Jackson is very fast and capable of taking one to the house any time he touches the football. 

Find out where Jackson ranks among the best wide receivers in the NFC South in the upcoming slideshow. 

5. Julio Jones

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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

2011 stats: 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Julio Jones was just a rookie in the 2011 season, but his potential is sky-high. Jones is a big target with elite speed and big-play potential. 

Jones will still be single-teamed by defenders because teammate Roddy White is still the best receiver on the team. One concern for Jones is health; he missed two games last year with a hamstring injury and was hurt a lot in his college days in Alabama. 

4. Marques Colston

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Chris Graythen/Getty Images

2011 stats: 80 receptions for 1143 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Marques Colston is the most physical receiver on this list, and at 6'4" and 225 pounds, Colston is bigger than almost every defender he faces.

The reason Colston is not ranked higher on this list is because he's always caught passes from Drew Brees. One has to wonder if Colston could still produce at a high level without an elite quarterback throwing to him. 

3. Vincent Jackson

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Harry How/Getty Images

2011 stats: 60 catches for 1109 yards and nine touchdowns. 

Vincent Jackson comes to Tampa Bay with a ton of potential and finally gives the Buccaneers a deep threat they lacked in 2011. 

In San Diego, Jackson had troubles off the field, with constant disputes over contracts and a DUI arrest. But the Buccaneers are paying Jackson a massive salary, five years for $55.55 million, so Jackson should not need to hold out. 

On the field Jackson is an elite receiver, but his inconsistency and off-field issues are why he is ranked No. 3 on this list. 

2. Roddy White

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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

2011 stats: 100 receptions for 1296 yards and eight touchdowns.

Roddy White is the most consistent wide receiver in the NFC South with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past five seasons. 

The sole reason he is not ranked No. 1 on this list is because he led the league in dropped passes. Still, White has produced at a high level for a long period of time and is an elite receiver. 

1. Steve Smith

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Chris Graythen/Getty Images

2011 stats: 79 receptions for 1394 yards and seven touchdowns. 

After a disappointing 2010 season, Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith was resurrected last season under then-rookie quarterback Cam Newton.

Smith was the recipient of many Newton bombs. Even at 33 years old, Smith still has explosive speed, and that burst allows him to get open. 

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