Julio Jones’ impact on the Atlanta Falcons (Part 1)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is ecstatic. Not because he has some time off due to the National Football League (NFL) lockout but because of what the franchise gave up to give him dynamic new receiver from the University of Alabama, Julio Jones.
On the receiving end, the Falcons received the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft from the Cleveland Browns.
As far as giving, the Falcons gave up six draft picks to get Jones. They gave the Browns the 27th overall pick, the 59th, 124th and their first and fourth round picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Browns traded up their
27th pick with the Kansas City Chiefs to get their 21st overall pick and drafted defensive tackle Phil Taylor from Baylor University. Their 59th pick was used on wide receiver Greg Little from the University of North Carolina
while their 124th overall went to fullback Owen Marecic from Stanford University.
Aside from the Carolina Panthers using their number one overall pick to draft Cam Newton from Auburn University, this will be one of the most memorable moments from the 2011 NFL Draft. The Browns received two extra draft picks this year and two next year,
a total of four, and all they had to do was give up their first round pick.
But why is everyone so excited about Jones? Is he really an intense player? Which former football player had the biggest impact on his playing? Jones had this to say at the NFL Scouting Combine in February 2011:
“I like to play the game with a passion. I love the way that [Baltimore Ravens linebacker] Ray Lewis plays as well as [Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver] Hines Ward, the way he blocks and is committed on every play. I have a defensive mentality, I’m not
scared to hit, and I’m a physical guy. I like to hit defensive players because they are not used to being hit; they are used to hitting offensive players and getting them out of their comfort zone. When I hit them, I try to get them out of their comfort zone.”
So Jones thinks of himself as a defensive player, not an offensive one, even though he is a wide receiver. His passion for the game leaks out of his pores and the first thing he said to reporters at the 2011 NFL Draft was that he couldn’t wait to get out,
hit offensive players and be aggressive again. Jones has a great physical presence and everyone knows that he can run and catch the ball but all he talked about during the pre-Draft was hitting somebody, attacking the ball and blocking on run plays.
This guy is like a throwback player with his mentality being that of a linebacker. Now many people might think that Jones is confused about which position he would like to play but he is an incredible wide receiver, recording 78 receptions for 1,133 yards
and seven touchdowns during his final year at Alabama. Overall, he had 179 receptions for 2,653 receiving yards in his career at Alabama, the second highest in school history.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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