Why Julio Jones Is the Future of the WR Position

The Atlanta Falcons gave up their NFL Draft future for a future elite wide receiver, and it seems to be paying off.

In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Julio Jones had his best game as a pro, registering three catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns as well as two rushes for 33 yards against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday afternoon. 

Jones was highly touted entering the NFL draft after a solid career at the University of Alabama. Jones played through a hairline fracture at the NFL combine, showing absurd toughness and ridiculous speed, which propelled him higher into the upper echelon of the draft. 

Atlanta moved up from the No. 27 spot in the first round to the Cleveland Brown's No. 6 spot in exchange for their first-round pick and four other future draft picks to take Jones. His performance at the combine, mixed with Atlanta's need for a receiver to complement All-Pro receiver Roddy White, forced the Falcons to draft the 6'3" 220-pound receiver.

What the Falcons gave up for Jones caused his stock to soar to unattainable expectations. It was almost certain he would not live up to the hype.

Jones started slowly, combining for seven catches and 100 yards total through his first two games. Over the next two though, he would register 17 catches for 242 yards, including game-long receptions of 49 and 45 yards respectively.

In Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers, Jones tweaked his hamstring, forcing him to exit early and miss the next two weeks. A well-placed bye week gave Jones time to heal and come back better than before, as displayed in his stat line Sunday.

Jones is second in rookie receiving on the season behind only AJ Green and despite missing two games. He is the No. 26 ranked receiver catching 28 of his 46 targets for 489 yards and two touchdowns, according to ESPN.com. 

The rookie receiver is better than what his stats show though. He is a big, quick receiver who is just as physical as the defensive back he is lining up against. His ability to catch the ball over the middle of the field as a possession receiver is beginning to match up with his ability to stretch the field as a downfield threat.

His all-around skills could be combined of a mix between the physicality of Hines Ward and the speed of Steve Smith (the real Steve Smith). 

Yes, the kid lacks great hands but so did the best ever coming out of college, Jerry Rice. In the offseason, when comparing Jones to fellow rookie Green, Rice did an excellent job selling Green as the short-term fix, but Jones as the long-term investment. 

As the No. 26 overall receiver just eight games into the season, Jones has done well at living up to the hype.

So NFL, get ready, because Jones' reign as the best receiver in the NFL is just getting started.