Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones is an NFL combine legend

Atlanta Falcons star receiver Julio Jones is one of the best, if not the best receiver in the game. Since his arrival in 2011, he has been nothing short of spectacular.

The Atlanta Falcons took a huge risk by trading away five draft picks in the 2011 and 2012 NFL Drafts in order to draft Julio but the return on that investment has been substantial.

In 2011, former Georgia Bulldog and current Bengals receiver A.J. Green was labeled as the best receiver in the class and was supposed to be the first one drafted. While Green put up some great numbers, Jones really stole the show at 2011 combine.

Let’s all be reminded that Jones participated in the 2011 NFL Draft Combine with a fracture in his foot that required surgery. A lot of prospects would have skipped the testing portion of the combine and did everything else at their respective pro days but not Jones.

Jones stepped out and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which is not only incredible due to the fact that his foot was fractured but more so because a man his size isn’t supposed to run like that.

Let’s also factor in his vertical of 38.5 inches and a broad jump of 11’3″. The amount of force a person would have to generate and exert just to be that explosive is ridiculous and yet Jones made it look easy.

One now has to wonder what kind of numbers would Jones have put up if his foot wasn’t injured. Would he have been able to add a couple of inches on his vertical jump? Could his broad jump have been even more explosive and could he have run a 40 time closer to the 4.28-4.3 range? One could help but wonder.

When people think of the best combines ever, Bo Jackson in 1986 comes up, Deion Sanders in 1989 comes up as well as Mike Mamula in 1995 (he didn’t have the greatest career), the performance of Julio Jones should not be forgotten. Not only because of the eye-popping numbers but also the sheer determination to go out there and put on a show even while injured