J.J Nelson could be the under dog star receiver in 2017

Arizona Cardinals receiver J.J Nelson could be a key part of the offense in 2017

Now that Larry Fitzgerald has announced his return, getting a sure pass catcher in the off season isn’t the biggest of concerns in 2017. With the corps of Fitzgerald, David Johnson, John and Jaron Brown, and J.J Nelson the Arizona Cardinals are very talented at the position.

One receiver could be the one to hit the 1000 mark for the first time and that could be Nelson. J.J Nelson ended the season in 2016 with good production, piling in 6 touchdowns receiving and even 1 rushing.

In the final 5 games of the season, Nelson recorded a receiving touchdown in 4 straight games, plus a 56 yard rushing touchdown against Miami. Nelson exploded against Seattle for 132 yards, 80 of those yards coming on a bomb from Carson Palmer for a touchdown.

With John Browns sickle cell issues and Jaron Brown coming off a ACL tear, Nelson could be the one opposite Fitzgerald and will get a fair share of catches which Nelson can turn into big plays.

In 2017 you can fully expect J.J Nelson to explode again. With most teams looking to lock up David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald offensively, that will give Nelson chances to make plays. What’s exciting about Nelson is his ability to run the ball as well, he proved he was a duel threat play maker this season after rushing for a 56 yard touchdown on a reverse, his speed can sometimes be unmatchable.

Nelson has improved every season. His rookie season he had 299 yards, his second season 568 yards. It’s just a matter of time before we can see his potential as a pro, and the valuable playmaker he is to the Cardinals offense.

In 2017 of course we will see David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, but someone to look out for and keep an eye on will be the speedy 3rd year receiver, J.J Nelson.