Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones has made quite the impression on the NFL since entering the league in 2011.
In nine seasons, Jones has been named to seven Pro Bowl and has been named first-team All-Pro on multiple occasions (2015 and 2016).
As a result, Pro Football Focus named Jones their top wideout of the last decade.
Julio Jones: the best WR of the decade pic.twitter.com/X0fSS8t7MW
— PFF (@PFF) May 16, 2020
Jones was the most efficient receiver in football in terms of PFF's yards per route run metric out of 402 qualifiers.
The likes of Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins were also mentioned, and former Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson got a brief shoutout at the end of the above clip, though Johnson's early retirement in 2015 prevented him from garnering more serious consideration.
While fans can certainly make the case for either Brown or Hopkins, it is hard to argue against Jones' consistent level of production. He has gone over the 1,000-yard mark in seven of nine seasons and has surpassed 1,394 yards receiving in each of the last six years.
Jones led the NFL in receptions (136) and receiving yards (1,871) in 2015, and he also led the league in receiving yards (1,677) in 2018.
The Falcons recognized Jones as a generational talent prior to the 2019 campaign, when they rewarded Jones with a three-year, $66 million extension, all of which was guaranteed. The extension made Jones the highest-paid receiver in terms of both annual average value ($22 million) and guaranteed money.
Atlanta will need Jones to be on point once again in 2020. The Falcons have gone 7-9 in each of the last two seasons, but Jones' steady production will always make their offensive unit one of the most dangerous in football.
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