You won't find many that would argue Julio Jones isn't already one of the top receivers in the game, but after the 2013 season that likely won't be the case anymore.
Jones already has a body of work that is hard to ignore and 2013 will bring more of the same. One of the areas that Jones excels in is yards after the catch. Last season Jones had 14 receptions of 25 yards or more, three of them for touchdowns over 40 yards. He already is second in franchise history for big plays (25 yards or more) in a single season after that performance last year and his 27 receptions in two seasons of 25-plus yards ranks him in a tie for third in the league.
The average yards per catch is the Jones stat that makes eyes pop and his 16.2 yards per catch since 2011 ranks him 11th in the league. Some of Jones' best work has come against the NFC South, a fact that bodes well for Jones' and the Falcons' future in one of the most competitive divisions in football.
Last year Jones' biggest yards-per-catch game came in Week 4 against Carolina. On that day he only caught that one pass, but it was for 30 yards. His fourth-highest total on the season came against Tampa Bay, a Week 12 contest in which he caught six passes for 147 yards and a 24.5 yards-per-catch average.
The other game against Carolina saw Jones average 13.2 yards per catch and in the season-ending matchup with Tampa, Jones averaged 18.7 yards per reception. In two games against New Orleans he averaged 14.2 yards per catch.
Four of Jones' eight biggest yards-per-catch days came against the NFC South in 2012 and it was no different in 2011, Jones' rookie season. Four of his eight biggest games came against the NFC South, including games with 19 and 19.2 yards per catch.
