Will Julio Jones be a first ballot HOFer?

By: Jake Rajala

Julio Jones officially retired and it’s safe to say he enjoyed a rich Hall of Fame career. The question is: is Jones a “first ballot” Hall of Famer?

Jones made seven trips to the Pro Bowl, four second-team All-Pro nods, and two first team All Pro nods. In the end, he hauled in 13,703 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 914 catches.

So, I’m going to compare him to Chris Carter, who was not a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Carter:

• Eight Pro Bowls

• Two time first-team All-Pro

• Two time second-team All-Pro

• 13,899 yards

• 130 touchdowns

• 1,101 catches

Carter arguably had a better resume than Julio and Carter didn’t get a gold jacket until 2013. I want to expand the horizons and compare him to another WR by the name of Tim Brown, who also wasn’t a first ball HOFer.

Brown:

• Eight-time Pro Bowl selection

• One time second-team All-Pro

• 14,934 receiving yards

• 100 TDs

• 1,094 catches

Brown had more consistency than Julio, but Jones had better highs. I believe these two compare well. Brown didn’t make the Pro Bowl until 2015. I believe that Julio won’t have to wait 11 years, but I believe the tale of Brown’s career say that Julio isn’t on par to be a first ball HOFer. Julio isn’t quite as dominant as a modern WR that is a first ballot HOFer, such as Calvin Johnson.

Julio doesn’t only not have similar production as non first ballot HOF WRs, but he hasn’t won a Super Bowl, similar to Carter and Brown. If he didn’t only win a Super Bowl, but won Super Bowl MVP, there’s a much stronger chance that he would be in contention to be a first ball HOFer.

It’s safe to say that Julio deserves his spot in the Falcons Ring of Honor. Julio and Matt Ryan are undoubtedly the best QB-WR duo in Falcons history. Roddy White is also in it. They’re waiting for Tony Gonzales to join them.