This is a debate between two of the top wide receivers in the league. DeAndre Hopkins and Julio Jones have been at the top of the NFL for quite some time and there is no end coming. In 2020, they will both play for teams expected to put up big offensive numbers so it is natural to wonder who will have the better season.
Hopkins was a part of arguably the biggest trade in the offseason. The Houston Texans sent their star receiver to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back David Johnson. There was also some draft picks involved. This move was hard to justify.
Hopkins spent the first seven years of his career in Houston. He is a four-time Pro-Bowler and has been named First-Team All-Pro in each of the last three years. During his time as a Texan, Hopkins has gone for 100 catches three times, 1,000 yards five times, and double-digit touchdowns three times.
If there is a receiver who has kept up with Hopkins, it is Jones. He has been in Atlanta for nine years. As a rookie, Jones burst onto the scene with 54 catches for 959 yards and eight touchdowns. Jones is a seven-time Pro Bowler, including each of the last six seasons, and a two-time First Team All-Pro selected. Jones has led the NFL in receiving yards twice, in 2015 with 1,871 yards and in 2018 with 1,677. He also led the league with 136 catches in 2015.
Neither one of these elite talents look like they are going to slow down anytime soon. Jones has gone for at least 1,300 yards in each of the last six seasons. This includes a 2019 season where he finished with 99 catches for 1,394 yards and six touchdowns. Hopkins totaled 104 catches for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games last season.
The 2019 campaign was about as even as can be for these two receivers. Who will have the edge in the upcoming season? Will it be DeAndre Hopkins or Julio Jones?
