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Marvin Jones

Underrated veteran could open as Jaguars top receiver

I think we all have players we tend to draft year after year -- not top guys, but medium guys who we'll select a round or two earlier than necessary just to make sure we secure them. For me, one of those players is Marvin Jones. I think I'll be drafting him again this year.

Jones signed with Jacksonville in the offseason, which to me suggests he didn't draw a lot of interest. (Entering free agency he said he wanted to sign with a contender, and the Jaguars went 1-15 last year.) The Jaguars have a new coaching staff and quarterback, and some depth at the skill positions, most notably running back but also wide receiver, where DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault figure to be the other 2 top options.

But Chark has just undergone surgery for a "minor break" on his hand. The Jaguars expect him to be ready for Week 1 (or that's what they're saying, anyway), but safe to assume we won't see him in the preseason. So Jones will likely be Trevor Lawrence's No. 1 at practices and whatever exhibition work the starters participate in this month, giving him the chance to also open the season as the go-to pass catcher.

Jones flashed some potential early in his career with Cincinnati, but didn't show enough that they kept him around on a second contract. He moved on to Detroit, and after a solid 2016 really broke out in 2017 -- 1,101 yards and 9 touchdowns.

He's gone on to be pretty good ever since. In the last four years (2017-2020), he's averaged over 14 fantasy points (PPR) per game. Among wide receivers who started at least half the time over the last four years, only 21 have been better than Jones. In terms of scoring, he's been even better, with 32 TDs in 54 games -- 9, 9, 9 and 5 in those seasons. Only six wideouts have been better in that time.

WIDE RECEIVERS PER GAME, 2017-2020
PlayerStNoYdsTDPPR
Davante Adams557.084.4.8520.5
Tyreek Hill585.382.7.7918.9
Antonio Brown386.788.7.7720.2
DeAndre Hopkins626.989.1.6119.5
Adam Thielen575.470.0.6116.2
Calvin Ridley444.969.6.6115.7
Marvin Jones544.362.3.5914.1
Mike Evans604.978.1.5916.3
Chris Godwin435.073.8.5715.9
Will Fuller394.263.5.5613.9
DK Metcalf324.468.8.5414.6
Stefon Diggs605.975.6.5216.9
Alshon Jeffery434.051.8.5112.2
Tyler Lockett644.456.7.4913.2
JuJu Smith-Schuster585.364.2.4814.6
Odell Beckham395.169.4.4515.2
Amari Cooper614.865.4.4514.1
Kenny Golladay473.965.3.4513.1
Keenan Allen626.577.1.4517.0
Cooper Kupp545.366.1.4414.7
Michael Thomas557.687.5.4218.8
Nelson Agholor563.748.0.4211.1
TreQuan Smith352.230.9.407.7
Mike Williams463.052.6.4010.8
Jarvis Landry635.563.1.4014.4
A.J. Green414.156.0.3912.0
Robert Woods595.569.0.3915.4
Kenny Stills443.144.6.399.8
Julian Edelman345.767.1.3815.3
T.Y. Hilton554.363.6.3712.8
Allen Robinson465.668.9.3714.7
Julio Jones566.394.4.3617.9
Tyler Boyd455.464.8.3614.2
John Brown503.450.6.3510.6
Brandin Cooks614.465.9.3513.3
Robby Anderson624.257.5.3512.1
Jamison Crowder524.552.1.3411.9
Sammy Watkins493.445.0.3310.1
Emmanuel Sanders554.554.9.3312.1
Golden Tate544.653.0.3312.0
Tyrell Williams462.744.2.339.1
Michael Gallup413.757.9.3311.5
DeSean Jackson343.454.0.3210.9
Christian Kirk394.149.2.3211.2
Curtis Samuel463.741.5.3010.6
Courtland Sutton333.557.0.3011.1
Paul Richardson332.836.7.308.3
Cole Beasley614.144.8.3010.4
Larry Fitzgerald615.050.9.3011.9

None of us really know what Urban Meyer's offense is going to look like, or how Trevor Lawrence will play as a rookie. But the Chark injury makes it look more likely that Jones will open the season as the de facto No. 1. A guy I'll be interested in drafting, once again.

--Andy Richardson

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