Who will have the better 2020 season?
Julio Jones has been a machine throughout his career. That will continue in the upcoming season for many reasons. This is not saying that Jones is a better receiver than DeAndre Hopkins, that is a completely inferential discussion entirely. This is saying that, with all things considered, Jones is going to have a better season.
This will be Hopkins’ first season with a new team. He is the type of player that will be successful anywhere but will he be able to put up elite numbers with the Cardinals? That is yet to be seen, especially with a young head coach and quarterback. The Cardinals steered their franchise in a completely different direction when they hired Kliff Kingsbury and draft Kyler Murray first overall in 2019.
During his rookie year, Murray showed the usual growing pains from a rookie while flashing signs of stardom. He finished with 3,722 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Murray also used his legs to the tune of 544 yards and four scores. The air raid offense was not on display last season. Arizona finished in the bottom half of the league in yards per game.
This was because their weapons were limited. Larry Fitzgerald was his usual self while Christian Kirk developed a connection with Murray. The addition of Hopkins obviously takes the offense up a notch but it is still fresh and new. What is not new is Jones in Atlanta.
Jones has been as reliable as they come during his NFL career. The Falcons are a strong offense that likes to throw the ball a lot. Matt Ryan has thrown for 4,000 yards in each season since 2011. That is not possible without getting the ball to his No. 1 option. Where Jones lacks compared to Hopkins is in the red zone.
Jones has not been a huge touchdown receiver throughout his career. He has averaged just over five touchdowns per season during his career. Jones has only gone for double-digit touchdowns once and it was back in 2012 when he caught 10. In 2017, Jones finished with 88 catches for 1,444 yards but just three touchdowns. Regardless, he is always a threat to lead the league in receiving yards and will be around 90 catches.
This is a difficult question to answer. Jones and Hopkins are two of the top wide receivers in the game and should both be in offenses that move quickly. The ball will be in the air in both Arizona and Atlanta in 2020 and it will be targeting one of these elite talents.
The Choice: Julio Jones
