5 NFL Receivers Who Will Improve In 2017 (And 5 Who Won't)
Pass catchers are in higher demand than ever before. Some will rise, others will fall. But who?
It can be said a million times, and yet it can never be said enough: the NFL in 2017 is a passing league. While quarterbacks are king and even mediocre ones are worth a small fortune (Hi, Mike Glennon! Way to finesse the Bears, bro!), the demand for talented wide receivers has also never been higher.
It makes sense: the more the ball flies, the more men are needed to catch and score said ball (Or, if you play with Brock Osweiler, watch as the ball hits the ground five feet away from you). Luckily, supply has surpassed demand and the league is positively teeming with Pro Bowl level wide receivers and tight ends.
The science is simple: once a team has a franchise signal caller, they start stockpiling pass catchers. This has led to teams like the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Detroit Lions deploying multiple #1 quality receivers on game day. When you look at it on paper, the sheer amount of talent in the NFL's collective receiving core is simply staggering.
It's a difficult position to play with an ever-growing amount responsibility attached, so it only makes sense that as time flows forward, some receivers will reach new heights, while others will crumble against the weight of various circumstances. The question is: who will do which?
10. Regress - Allen Robinson
Now, let's make something clear from the jump: Allen Robinson SHOULDN'T be on this list. He's only 23 and he already has a 1,400 yard, 14 touchdown season on his resume. In a fair world, Robinson would be challenging Antonio Brown and Julio Jones for title of best wide receiver in the NFL. However, the world is a desolate carousel of fun smashing savagery, so here we are.
The reasons for Robinson's inclusion here are twofold. First, there's Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. Bortles' struggles in 2016 resulted in a notable statistical regression for Robinson, and if those struggles continue, then Robinson will have to play at a Herculean level to reach the heights he's capable of.
Second, there's rookie running back/generational phenom Leonard Fournette. The Jags drafted Fournette 4th overall with the intention of making him a major contributor on offense. Fournette will see the same kind of workload that Ezekiel Elliot saw last season and those touches will inevitably take away from Robinson's production.
Between Bortles struggling to evolve as a signal caller and Fournette pounding through defenses 20+ times per game, the chances simply won't be there for Robinson to showcase his tremendous talent.