Allen Hurns is motivated, ready to bounce back in 2017
By Daniel Lago
After beating the odds and thriving as an undrafted free agent, Allen Hurns needs to bounce back from a disappointing 2016 season.
When the Jacksonville Jaguars took Blake Bortles with the third overall selection of the 2014 NFL Draft, they did so with the intention of surrounding him with talent at the skill positions. They wasted no time in doing so, taking wide receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson in the second round of the same draft.
Lee and Robinson were both high pedigree players with the traits and production in college that warranted a second round selection. Their lofty draft status meant expectations were high and they needed to start right away.
Instead, undrafted receiver Allen Hurns emerged as the most reliable target for Blake Bortles in his rookie season. He blossomed further in his sophomore campaign, compiling over a thousand yards receiving and earning a lucrative contract extension.
More from Jacksonville Jaguars News
- Jacksonville Jaguars should welcome Derrick Henry into the kingdom
- Jaguars Rumors: Trent Baalke seems to be getting respect now
- Jaguars News: This division rival might be making a big move
- Former Jacksonville Jaguars S Johnathan Cyprien: “New Profession, Same Standards”
- Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram officially gets the franchise tag: 3 takeaways
The Jaguars looked primed to have an explosive offense in 2016, but several players took a step back, Hurns among them.
As Pro Football Focus notes, Hurns was underperforming while also being hampered by injuries:
"Hurns in 2015 posted a PFF grade of 83.3, which was 17th among all receivers. That grade in 2016 dropped to 50.2, 105th out of 115 qualifying wideouts."
"Before getting hurt, Hurns also had his worst season in terms of drop rate at 16.67 percent, dropping seven of the 42 catchable balls thrown his way."
"One area Hurns should certainly improve in 2017 is his efficiency in the slot. In 2015, his yards per route run out of the slot was fourth among all eligible receivers at 2.38. That dropped drastically in 2016 to 0.92 yards per slot route run."
Hurns has come out and spoken about the frustration from last season, noting both he and teammate Allen Robinson are focused and ready to bounce back:
"“We both know it wasn’t a year we wanted or anything like that,” Hurns said of him and Robinson, whose production also dropped from 2015 to 2016. “We just use that as motivation. We’ve been through ups and downs in our career and now we want to stay consistent.“We always tell each other, ‘It doesn’t matter what you did last year or the year before. Each year you have something to prove.’”"
The Jaguars need to get better on offense in 2017. That starts with Blake Bortles, but he’ll need some help from guys like Allen Hurns to really make this team a viable playoff contender.