Lost in the shimmering glow radiating from Blake Bortles' preseason performance has been the play of another Jacksonville Jaguars rookie: Allen Hurns.
Twelve receivers were taken in the first two rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft, including two in the second by the Jags themselves in Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. The undrafted Hurns has outperformed them all.
In three preseason games, Hurns has 13 catches for 230 yards (leading all receivers) for a 17.7-yard average. Playing with the starting unit in last week's preseason game, Hurns looked fantastic, going for 113 yards on seven catches and a touchdown.
"He has good instincts and is really driven," Bradley said, per The Florida Times-Union. "We saw it in OTAs -- some of the quarterbacks said they really like him. They felt like this guy is a diamond in the rough. Just trust us on this. He has some talent. I think the cool thing for him was it was against the ones. He went out there and performed at that level."
While preseason stats and hype mean nothing once the real games start, Hurns has shown he should be on the field from the jump. Considering the Jaguars' injury concerns and the lack of a No. 1 playmaker, Hurns has displayed a rapport with his quarterbacks, an ability to run NFL routes and make catches in traffic.
In an offense full of youth, Hurns already looks like a keeper.
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