Many people feel that the New York Jets are a sleeper playoff team in the AFC going into 2019. They have an exciting young quarterback in Sam Darnold, a new and explosive running back in Le'Veon Bell, and a defense full of potential.
However, one notable shortcoming for the Jets is their lack of a No. 1 wide receiver.
While New York certainly has talent in the form of Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, and Jamison Crowder, the Jets don't really have a standout No. 1, and that could limit their potential this coming season.
But could this be the year that Anderson finally breaks out to become a true top-flight receiver?
Anderson has been in the NFL for three seasons, and while he has certainly been a solid wide out, he has not been an ace receiver. His best season came in 2017, when he hauled in 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns.
Good numbers? Sure. No. 1 worthy? Not really.
Of course, that's not all Anderson's fault, as the Jets have not really had a great quarterback situation over the last several seasons and have had a shaky running game and offensive line, so New York hasn't been able to generate a consistent aerial attack.
But now, for the first time in a while, the Jets seem to have a legitimate signal-caller in Darnold, and Bell is unquestionably the best running back the team has had since Curtis Martin.
While there will still be a learning curve for Darnold and the offensive line remains questionable, all of the stars appear to be aligning for Anderson to have a big year in 2019.
There is no denying Anderson's talent. He has gamebreaking speed, great size at 6-foot-3 and is a dynamic open field threat, but he only has decent hands, and his route-running ability definitely needs some work.
The good news is, Anderson is just 26 years old, so he has plenty of time to improve in his relatively weak areas.
It will certainly help to play alongside of two reliable receivers in Enunwa and Crowder, and the fact that Chris Herndon looks like a solid young tight end should pay dividends, as well.
Whether or not Anderson will ever develop into a truly elite wide out is up for debate, as he never even tallied 1,000 yards in either of his two seasons at Temple. So, even if Anderson hits his peak, the Jets may still need to go out and get another receiver for Darnold at some point.
But, the key for Anderson in 2019 will be to simply get better in what can be considered his problem areas, and perhaps a new coaching staff will really flesh out his talents and allow him to flourish.
We also need to keep in mind that some of these things may be out of Anderson's control, because a lot of this depends on the progression of Darnold and how stout the Jets' offensive line is.
That being said, with Bell now opening up the offense and Darnold potentially ready to take a big step forward (although Year 3 seems to be the year that most commonly occurs for young quarterbacks), this could be the year that Anderson hits 1,000 yards for the first time.
Follow Us
Subscribe