Allen Robinson was the top deep threat in the NFL in 2015
By Daniel Lago
While there were plenty of reasons to be upset at the end of the 2015 season if you’re a Jaguars fan, we’re going to try and focus on some of the positives for the better part of the offseason. With head coach Gus Bradley back for another season (the last one on his contract), there’s too much continuity to focus on what went wrong the entire time – that would be the defense.
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
One of things that went astronomically, historically, and encouragingly right was the ascension of second year wide receiver
Allen Robinson. After Robinson showed some promise and a burgeoning rapport with quarterback
Blake Bortlesduring their rookie campaign, many analysts had lofty expectations for the sophomore pass catcher out of Penn State. The multiple offseason fluff pieces left some people, namely me, worried that the hype train was building too quickly for a relatively unproven player.
Well Robinson lived up to the hype and then some. ARob finished the season with 14 receiving touchdowns (tied for the league lead) and 1,400 receiving yards (6th in the NFL) en route to a Pro Bowl berth. Robinson thrived on deep passes, particularly on 50/50 jump balls where he consistently beat cornerbacks down the field. His success in that part of the field garnered some high praise from Pro Football Focus:
"Best Deep Threat: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville JaguarsNo wide receiver helped his quarterback as much as Robinson, who led the league with 672 yards on deep passes, a PFF record dating back to 2007. Whether running away from defenders or leaping over them to extend a drive, Robinson made big plays happen all season long for the Jaguars.Runner-up: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills"
A big part of Bortles breaking out in 2015 was the way Robinson and Allen Hurns played, but the progress made by all 3 players shouldn’t be discredited. The future of the offense in Jacksonville is undoubtedly bright.