Who Should I Start? Julio Jones or Terry McLaurin

Friday, April 4, 7:32 PM

Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones has officially announced his retirement. The Alabama product had an incredible run as a Falcon, with whom he spent nine seasons before serving three consecutive one-year stints with the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles. Jones tallied 914 receptions, 13,703 yards, and 66 touchdowns in 166 career games. The 35-year-old is the author of the third-highest single-season receiving yardage total of all time and ranks No. 16 on the all-time list of most receiving yards in a career. Jones was a spectacle on the field, with a rare blend of size, speed, and physicality that sought to give any defensive back fits. The former sixth-overall pick of the 2011 draft holds an excellent case for becoming a member of the Hall of Fame.

Wednesday, September 10, 4:01 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was slow out of the gate in Week 1 against the Giants, catching two of his four targets for 27 yards. A slow start to the season could have been somewhat expected for McLaurin after limited practice time amidst his contract negotiations. The talk of a slow start could have been mitigated if he and Jayden Daniels were able to connect on a deep shot where McLaurin had his man beat badly on a double move. With the new acquisition, Deebo Samuel Sr. making his team debut, play caller Kliff Kingsbury made an emphasis to get Samuel involved, and he has established a good connection with Daniels after McLaurin missed a lot of time in training camp. A positive, at least for McLaurin, is that he did not face any restrictions regarding his snap count and routes. The star receiver started slow last season as he built rapport with Daniels, and should be expected to bounce back against an exploitable Green Bay secondary. McLaurin has faced the Packers three times in his career and has put up strong numbers, catching 16 of 27 targets for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in a projected high-scoring Week 2 matchup against the Packers.