2015 Expectations: Allen Robinson

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What to expect from Jaguars Wide Receiver, Allen Robinson, in his second season in the NFL.

BYJordan de Lugo

          The Jaguars, to most people's surprise, nabbed two wide receivers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. One of those receivers was the 20 year old Allen Robinson. While his counterpart, Marquise Lee, may have been more of a household name at the time, many analysts believed that Robinson would be the brighter star in the NFL. Robinson was off to a great start before he was lost for the season due to a stress fracture in his foot. Prior to his injury, he was on pace to catch 76 balls for 875 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those are some big numbers for a rookie wide receiver.

          Fast forward to the 2015 offseason. Allen Robinson is fully recovered from the stress fracture in his foot and looks more explosive than ever. Team mates and coaches alike have been raving about him since OTA’s. 

He's been unbelievable - Blake Bortles

          Even members of the national media have jumped on to Allen Robinson Hype Train.

One of the NFL's best-kept secrets - Chris Wesseling (nfl.com)

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          He seems ripe for a break out 2015. He has the size (6’3” 210 lbs) and speed to create mismatches with virtually anyone who covers him. He has the route running ability to beat anyone in one on one coverage and the size and leaping ability to go up and highpoint the ball. With his skill set and work ethic he has the potential to be one of the very best receivers in football.

          So what are fair expectations for his sophomore campaign?

          Robinson should rack up at least 80 catches for close to 1,000 yards. That’s easy to predict based on his rookie numbers alone. What’s not so easy to forecast is how many touchdowns he will haul in. In 2014, he only caught 2 touchdowns in 10 games. Not very impressive, but to be fair the Jaguars passing offense as a whole had a hard time finding the end zone, partially due to the inexperience of rookie QB, Blake Bortles, and partially due to the terrible offensive line play. Both the offensive line and Blake Bortles appear to be improved heading into the 2015 season, plus the Jaguars have added new weapons that could draw coverage away from Robinson. They were able to sign the prolific pass catching tight end, Julius Thomas, and draft Florida State’s all time leading pass catcher, Rashad Greene. With the continued development of the offensive line, Blake Bortles, and the rest of the receiving core, Robinson should have no problem finding the end zone at least 5 times. 

         Final Prediction: Based on his rookie season and the development of the team around him, it’s easy to predict that Robinson will rack up 80 catches, 1,000 yards, and 5 Touchdowns. However, I’m of the opinion that he will have even more success than that. My final prediction is that he will total 85 Catches, 1,200 yards, and 8 touchdowns. 

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