Green Bay Packers Position Battles: Jordy Nelson vs. James Jones

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

(Above: Nelson has all the tools to be a stud in the West Coast offense.)

James Jones must have been beside himself last year when the Packers drafted Kansas State's Jordy Nelson in the second round.

We all knew Ted Thompson took leaps of faith and always goes for the "best available talent," but drafting a receiver when you already had three sold starters, well, that's just crazy.

Evidently not.

After James Jones went down early last year with a knee injury, Nelson stepped in and performed admirably as a rookie.

But before we even get to what he did (or Jones, for that matter) last season, let's take a blind look at the two receivers.

Player A

Stands in at 6'1'' and 218 pounds, and had experience playing multiple positions on the field in high school, including quarterback in his senior year.

Had his best college season in his senior year, catching 70 catches for 893 yards and 10 scores, while also dropping in six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the New Mexico Bowl.

Player A had a solid NFL combine, as he tied the record there for the bench press with 22 reps.

He also performed well in speed and quickness drills, but wasn't among the elite. Through other drills, it was obvious he had some of the better hands of his class.

Player B

Stands in at 6'3'' and 217 pounds. He owns his high school's state track record in class 3A 100m, despite being listed as having average speed.

He ran several times that ranged from 4.47-4.57 at the combine and college workouts, while displaying excellent hands and body control in other drills.

This player was a walk-on at his college, where he originally started his career as a safety.

Once his coach realized he belonged on offense, he hauled in 45 catches for eight touchdowns as a sophomore. After being on the preseason Fred Biletnikoff Award watch list, this player suffered injuries and finished the season with only 39 catches and one touchdown.

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