We have now had back to back years in which college has provided the NFL a loaded wide receiver draft. The 2020 NFL Draft is stacked as CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Chase Claypool. However, Justin Jefferson is quietly proving he just might be the best of that class.
On the season, Jefferson has 848 yards and four touchdowns. That 84.8 yards per game is the best mark of any rookie receiver. Jefferson has emerged as a star and really didn’t get going for the first few weeks of the season.
More importantly, he’s doing that damage with Kirk Cousins. It’s not like Jefferson is dominating with elite quarterback play. The first round pick from LSU is killing it with a bottom tier starter. Minnesota has also been a run first offense all year with Dalvin Cook. The fact that Jefferson is putting up the numbers he is says it all.
I wasn’t 100 percent sold on Jefferson coming into the draft but I felt really good about his chances of making it. More so than anything, almost all of his production at LSU came out of the slot. Again it’s minor but Jefferson has proved that should have never been a concern. Jefferson has lined up on the outside most of the time with the Vikings.
The biggest skill set the Vikings rookie has given the team is his deep play threat. We knew Jefferson was fast after running a 4.43 speed at the combine. Route running was never going to be a problem either. It was one of the best combine performances I ever saw. We should have saw this coming.
Jefferson hasn’t just been good, he leads the NFL in yards per route run (3.25). On 15-plus yard throws, Jefferson also leads the NFL with 20 catches, 597 yards, and 29.65 yards per catch. It took him 11 weeks to be one of the best receivers in the entire league.
It’s time to give Justin Jefferson the respect he deserves. Minnesota nailed this one and the Stefon Diggs trade automatically is a win for recouping Jefferson. Oh, and let’s not forget Howie Roseman took Jalen Reagor ahead of him.
