Could he become the best wide receiver in the NFL? Source: James Lang-US PRESSWIRE

Even with the aforementioned pedigree, a 2nd DUI arrest and a 12-day contract hold out seemed to have most NFL pundits tempering their expectations of the former Oklahoma State Cowboy, with some even suggesting the Jaguars had reached for him at #5 in the 2012 draft.  Reports surfaced of the rookie struggling to grasp the playbook, and what seemed to be such a slam-dunk pick for our hometown Jags was now being doubted by several analysts both locally and nationally.

Until he stepped on the field.

Like he has done at every level of the game to date, Justin instantly showed the physical ability that warranted the many collegiate awards and a top draft pick.  He and Blaine Gabbert had a noticeable rapport right from the start, beginning the drive with the first pass as well as capping the drive with a 14-yard touchdown strike.  He followed up his 4 catch, 48 yard, 1 touchdown performance in his first game with an even more impressive 4 catch, 72 yard showing against the Ravens Thursday night.  The rookie wide receiver has shown in 2 short weeks the ability to consistently get separation and make the tough catches in traffic look effortless.  More than anything, what radiates from JB’s play is a passion and determination to make plays.  He seemingly has a burning desire to be great; an unwillingness to be tackled.  Very few men can line up against the best athletes in the world and have his talent overwhelm those who line up against him.  We aren’t looking at just a possession receiver, a player with upside, a slot guy, or any other cliche used to describe a pass-catcher with limited abilities.  We are witnessing the emergence of a bona-fide STUD.  A play-making, dominant force that defenses will have to account for on each and every offensive snap, along the same lines as a Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson.

Get used to seeing touchdown catches like this one! Source: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

The single-most important addition to Blaine Gabbert’s development (which is sure to be the most-talked about story-line for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season) is not his off-season work (although it may have been great) and it’s not the new coaching staff (which is far and away superior to what we suffered through last season). Adding a Perennial Pro-Bowler and elite weapon in Justin Blackmon is. There aren’t many players who live up to the hype and expectations that a top 5 pick in today’s NFL is saddled with.  I’m here to tell you that this pick will go down as the best in Jaguars history…  Kudos, Gene Smith, now sit back and enjoy the show!

- Brad Barrell

You can also follow me on twitter @justjaxjags

Sims-Walker wasn't quite what we needed.... Source: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

On the whole, the Jaguars have failed to find adequate receivers for some time now.  Since the departure of Jimmy Smith, names like Matt Jones, Ernest Wilford, Reggie Williams, and Mike Sims-Walker have attemptedto gain the same kind of respect and production that Smith had.  None have even found a foothold.  With the start of the 2012 season two newcomers to the team will attempt to finally right the ship and fill the shoes of Jimmy Smith.

Laurent Robinson, the number three man in Dallas last year, and Justin Blackmon, the Jaguars 2012 first round pick, have the best shot to put up impressive numbers and begin to be recognized as a top receiver in the NFL.  How do we measure these two receivers?  Should they be compared to past Jaguars receivers and passing offenses or should they be compared to the league greats?  As the headline suggests, I am going to examine the latter.

When comparing Blackmon and Robinson to Fitz, we will have to look at two sets of numbers: his first year in the league to compare to how Blackmon needs to play and his later years to match with Robinson.  Keep in mind that Fitzgerald played with Anquan Boldin in Arizona for a number of years so he was not always the premier receiver on the team.

In Fitzgerald’s first season in the league, he started all 16 games and came away with 58 catches for a respectable 780 yards and eight touchdowns.  His 48.8 yards per game was nowhere near the league leader (Carolina’s Muhsin Muhammad averaged 87.8 ypg) but helped to provide a spark for the team.  His yards per game was a solid 14 below teammate Anquan Boldin but he helped to free up space by drawing defenders away from the other side.

When measuring Blackmon, I think that his ability to get open is similar to that of Fitzgerald’s.  He has the skills to make plays on balls that other receivers do not and he has a knack for slipping past coverage and getting open.  In an offense led by Blaine Gabbert – who I believe to be better than Josh McCown ever was – the odds of Blackmon getting a few more balls from the passing game are pretty high.  I think that anywhere from 45-50 yards per game would be a success for Blackmon in his rookie year and would show that he is on the right path to be similar to one of the modern elite receivers.  To keep pace with Fitzgerald, Blackmon does not have to be the best receiver on the team during his rookie season but, rather, a very strong contributor.

Comparing Fitzgerald to Robinson, we need to look at the production of Fitzgerald in his sixth season and see if Robinson can project to emulate that success in 2012 (entering his sixth season).  As we do this, it is important to note that in 2009 (Fitzgerald’s sixth season), Kurt Warner had a superb season following Arizona’s 2008 Super Bowl run.  In 2009, Fitzgerald had 97 receptions, 1,092 yards, and a career high 13 touchdowns.  He accounted for about a fourth of all passing yards for the team that season.  He consistently beat coverage and tied his counterpart, Boldin, with 68.3 yards per game and had an impressive 11.3 yards per reception.

Is Robinson's game Fitz level? Source: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Robinson has showen aptitude at his yards per reception, turning anything he touches into a big gain. In 2011, Robinson posted a whopping 15.1 yards per reception, more than doubled his yardage from the year before (344 to 858) and increased his receptions from 34 to 54.  His production per reception is greater than any of Fitzgerald’s until the 2011 season.  Robinson’s 11 touchdown receptions are a career high and should only rise with more targets and being a considerably larger receiver for the Jaguars in the red zone (in comparison to the rest of the receiving corps).  While this will be Robinson’s third team in three years and fourth in his six years in the league, his ability to turn it on could make him comparable to Fitzgerald when he takes over as the premier receiver in Jacksonville.

While projecting Robinson to become Fitzgerald is a bit more difficult than Blackmon, the potential for both players to have breakout years and possibly be in the discussion as some of the best receivers on the season is there.  Gene Smith did a good job getting top-flight receivers to Jacksonville for the coming years and that should translate into success for the passing game.  Blaine Gabbert isn’t Kurt Warner, but he’s a lot better than Josh McCown and has some serious upside in comparison to John Skelton and Derek Anderson.  If Fitzgerald can do it with no supporting cast, then I think one of the two Jaguars’ new targets can probably make a run and gain a foothold to start finally filling Jimmy Smith’s shoes.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

Maurice Jones-Drew was this year’s rushing champion, accumulating 1606 rushing yards under stacking boxes. Despite the Jaguars passing woes, he was still able to cash in on 11 total touchdowns. He was also literally carrying the offense on his back, which has earned him the number 12 spot on the countdown.

My first thoughts of seeing MJD at the number 12 spot made me happy to see he is getting more positive recognition despite media outlets talking about his current “holdout” and skipping camp, something he does every year. My second thought however got me thinking to who were the top 10 players the NFL.com has rated.

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