Atlanta Falcons Position Battles: Wide Receiver Projections
Preseason is coming down the stretch. The final exhibition game against Jacksonville, will help settle the Atlanta Falcons remaining positional battles. Today we focus on the wide receivers.
The Atlanta Falcons coaching staff is certainly pouring over game and practice film, in order to make the correct choices for the teams’ 2019 roster. We will attempt to project who will make the club at wide receiver, based on preseason play and other factors.
Wide Receivers Who are a Lock to Make the Team
Julio Jones
Calvin Ridley
Mohamed Sanu
The Atlanta Falcons are likely to keep six wide receivers. Four of those spots are basically accounted for, with three being absolute no brainers.
Julio Jones leads the Atlanta Falcons receiving corps. He had not played a single snap in the preseason, opting instead to conserve his body for the regular season.
Despite the fact that no wide receiver has ever logged 2000 yards receiving in a season, Jones has said that his goal is to get 3000 yards. With the way that the Atlanta Falcons value balance, this will be a very difficult feat to achieve. Julio Jones can be counted on for monster numbers regardless.
Calvin Ridley is entering his second year, after the team surprised many by drafting him in the first round last offseason. The Atlanta Falcons certainly had greater needs, but in taking a best player available approach, Ridley was too talented to pass on.
As a rookie Ridley proved to be worth a first round pick. He posted 821 yards and led all Atlanta Falcons receivers with 10 touchdowns.
It will be interesting to see if Ridley can increase his yardage to over 1000 next season, while still scoring double-digit touchdowns. He has certainly looked explosive in the preseason thus far, although he has played limited snaps.
Mohamed Sanu returns as a steady force on the Atlanta Falcons receiving corps. The high-caliber possession receiver racked up 66 catches for 838 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Sanu has the ability to play outside receiver and also play the slot, when the Falcons want a bigger possession guy to roam the middle of the field. He and Calvin Ridley should alternate between the outside and slot positions, depending on rather the team is looking for agility and shiftiness, or size and possession in the slot.