Cal Alum Keenan Allen Ranked Among the NFL's Top-10 Wide Receivers
Three former Cal players have established themselves as topflight NFL wide receivers, and all three will begin this season with high expectations. Injuries hindered the progress of two of them last season, but the third, Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers, ranks among the top 10 NFL wide receivers in the NFL heading into the 2020 season, according to CBSSports.com.
Here are the CBSSports.com wide receiver rankings:
1. Michael Thomas, Saints
2. Julio Jones, Falcons
3. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
4. DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals
5. Davante Adams, Packers
6. Amari Cooper, Cowboys
7. Mike Evans, Buccaneers
8. Keenan Allen, Chargers
9. Chris Godwin, Bucaneers
10. Odell Beckham, Browns
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Two other Cal alums hope to join this list next year: DeSean Jackon and Marvin Jones Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who played at Cal from 2005 through 2007, has been named to the Pro Bowl three times and led NFL in yards per reception four times. But he was limited to three games last season after undergoing core-muscle surgery. He hopes to prove that at age 33 he can still be the deep threat that made him a star.
DeSean Jackson Photo by James Lang - USA TODAY Sports
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Marvin Jones Jr., a Detroit Lions wideout who was at Cal from 2008 to 2011, had his best season in 2017, when he led the NFL in yards per catch, but injuries have limited him the past two seasons. A knee injury sidelined him for seven games in 2018, when he had just 35 catches for 508 yards, and a foot injury cost him three games in 2019, when he had 62 receptions for 779 yards. His nine touchdown catches still ranked just one off the league high in 2019.
Marvin Jones Jr. Photo by Eric Hartline - USA TODAY Sports
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But for now the laurels belong to Allen, who played at Cal from 2010 through 2012. He ranks No. 8 on the CBSSports.com wide receiver list, and it's easy to see why. He has had more than 1,100 receiving yards each of the past three seasons and has been named to the Pro Bowl in all three of those seasons. You might even expect him to be ranked a little higher.
Keenan Allen Photo by Kirby Lee - USA TODAY Sports
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Here is what CBSSports.com had to say about Allen:
A few years ago, it was looking like Allen might just be one of those guys who would never stay healthy. After kicking off his career with back-to-back 70-plus-catch seasons, Allen played only nine games in the final two years of his rookie deal. He suffered a lacerated kidney that caused him to miss eight games in 2015, then tore his ACL in his first game back in 2016.
All he's done since is solidify himself as one of the most consistently excellent receivers in the league. His season-long lines over the past three years: 102-1,393-6 in 2017; 97-1,196-6 in 2018; and 104-1,199-6 in 2019. See what I mean? Consistency.
Perhaps the best route-runner in the NFL, Allen is seemingly always open. His 68 percent catch rate over the past three seasons is one of the best in the league among high-volume players, and while he tends to run shorter routes than some of the other true No. 1 guys (12.5 yards per reception from 2017 through 2019), he makes up for it with his efficiency. Allen has averaged 2.34 yards per route run over the past three seasons, a better figure than several players who finished ahead of him on this list.
2020 Outlook: Allen will probably see his counting numbers take a dip in 2020, simply because the Chargers will likely be a bit run-heavier than they have been in the past now that Tyrod Taylor is under center rather than Philip Rivers. But Taylor has historically been something of a conservative passer, which means he is likely to favor targeting Allen and Austin Ekeler over Mike Williams and Hunter Henry. So while he may not see as much pure volume, Allen could conceivably see a larger target share than he has in even these past three seasons.
A couple of things are interesting about Allen, as I note in the video:
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