Dez Bryant vs. AJ Green: Which Wide Receiver Is the Star of the Future?

A.J. Green will have a better career than Dez Bryant.

Every team is looking for the next great NFL receiver.  The Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys both feel they have a guy capable of dominating the NFL.  However, only one player will emerge as the star of the future, and that's A.J. Green.

Saying that A.J. Green will have a better career is not a statement on Dez Bryant's talent, but more about his off-the-field concerns. In order to be successful, a player needs to be on the field and produce.  Dez Bryant has been a lightning rod for controversy.  He missed a good portion of his final college season due to a relationship with Deion Sanders. Since then, Bryant has had issues with money troubles and mall security guards.

Bryant has all the talent in the world, and he has shown that he is capable of producing. However, he has struggled with injuries.  He opened his career with an injury that forced him to miss the majority of preseason.  Bryant followed that with a season-ending injury that wiped out a good portion of his rookie season.  Now he is likely to miss some more time due to a quad injury.  Again, a player cannot be productive if he isn't on the field.

A.J. Green has just as much physical talent as Bryant, if not more. He possesses excellent size, with the ability to go up and get the football.  His ability to stretch the field is something that makes him very valuable.  Right now, the one thing holding Green back is the team that drafted him.  The Cincinnati Bengals are not a model franchise, being known for wasting top-level talent. For Green to be productive, he needs to be put in good situations. 

Green's production is also impacted by the development of a rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton. If Dalton can develop, this duo could do great things.  Overall, I feel that Green has a brighter future because he will spend more time on the field.

Jon Dove is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report, covering the NFL and NFL draft. Check him out on Twitter @Jon_Dove42.