The 2022 NFL free agency period is off and running at a furious pace. As players continue to sign during free agency, predictions for wide receiver Julio Jones continue to be discussed. Which teams in need of additional pass-rush help could benefit from acquiring Jones in free agency?
Predictions for Julio Jones in 2022 NFL free agency
Jones is one of the best receivers of this generation. I don’t feel that is debatable. He holds the NFL record for average receiving yardage per game (91.9) across his 11 years. Included in that is seven of eight seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards, including five straight (2012-2018) with 1,390+ yards. Jones was also the model of consistency, playing in 13 games in all but one season (2013), where a foot injury ended his season after five games.
Then, 2020 hit, and Jones seemed to have hit a wall. Hamstring injuries have plagued Jones over the last two seasons. He has played in just 19 of a possible 33 games over the previous two seasons for the Falcons and Titans. Following his somewhat surprising release from the Titans, Jones, 33, is out to prove he has something left in the tank and bring his veteran presence to a new roster.
New England Patriots
New England Patriots need to look for a vertical threat for their offense. This is not a new statement. The longer free agency goes, the fewer and fewer the options are becoming.
Allen Robinson was a receiver initially projected to the Patriots, but he signed a three-year, $45 million deal to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Jones could be on the radar as an alternative option and one that wasn’t expected to be available.
Bill Belichick has a history of bringing in veteran receivers at the tail end of their careers and finding a role for them. Jones would fit the bill. When healthy, Jones is one of the more physically gifted receivers in the NFL at all three levels, though he might have lost a bit at the top end. That’s just age catching up.
Jones could be a great fit alongside Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne underneath and Nelson Agholor on the outside. Mac Jones is a QB who they can build around. Perhaps a veteran is just what he needs.
Baltimore Ravens
When you have someone as talented under center as Lamar Jackson, giving him as many targets as possible makes sense. A trio of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Rashod Bateman, and Jones would be incredible. Not to mention, Mark Andrews is coming off a career-best 1,361-yard season.
Going from Sammy Watkins to Jones is about as substantial an upgrade as one could imagine. With the moves happening in the AFC North, this prediction makes plenty of sense.
Cleveland Browns
Speaking of those AFC North moves, the Cleveland Browns sent a seismic shockwave across the league by trading for QB Deshaun Watson. While that is all well and good, assuming he plays Week 1, who is he throwing to this year?
Amari Cooper is slated to be the No. 1 wideout and should find success. Still, following the release of Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins going to Carolina, the Browns are left with Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz as the next best options. That’s simply not going to cut it. Holding onto pick No. 44 in the 2022 NFL Draft could be massive, and I expect to see it used at WR. Nevertheless, Jones would be a critical addition.
Green Bay Packers
If not the Falcons, the Green Bay Packers have the worst wide receiver room in the NFL following the trade of Davante Adams. If Week 1 started today, Matt LaFleur would roll out Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Malik Taylor, Juwann Winfree, and Amari Rodgers at receiver. I get Aaron Rodgers is the back-to-back MVP, but there is only so much he can do with that group.
Jones does not solve all of the issues, but it’s a step in the right direction. He only saw action in 11 games and tallied 434 receiving yards on 31 catches and a touchdown in 2021. Aside from Lazard (513), no other WR on this roster had over 375 yards (Cobb). Jones could not only help bridge the gap as the Packers rebuild the room but act as a sorely needed No. 1 target for Rodgers. This has suddenly become a popular prediction for Jones.