Justin Jefferson Belongs at the Top
Two seasons into his NFL career, Justin Jefferson has already proved that he belongs at the top. E
verybody has their own opinions, but if you are compiling a top-five list of current wide receivers, and you don’t include Jefferson., I really don’t know what you’re thinking. Whatever metric you use, the Vikings young superstar is either leading the way or not far behind.
He broke the rookie receiving yards record, only for it to be topped by his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. You get the feeling these two will be battling it out for stat records over the coming seasons. Chase and Jefferson were one and two for most yards vs. single coverage in 2021 — Chase with 868 yards and Jefferson 753 yards.
Some people believed there might be a sophomore slump following his outstanding rookie season. Jefferson was having none of that. Beginning the season as undisputed WR1 on the Vikings offense, he had a statistically better season. 1,400 yards became 1616 yards, and seven touchdowns became 10 touchdowns, making him the only wide receiver ever to have over 3000 yards over their first two seasons in the NFL.
He is also the only wide receiver with over 3,000 yards over the past two seasons since he entered the league. He leads “big plays” in that timeframe, too, with 79 receptions of 15+ yards, ahead of Davante Adams, who has 68.
He doesn’t always get the records, falling short of the Vikings single-season reception yards record by just 17 yards. The record held by Hall of Famer Randy Moss might have eludedJefferson this time, but you’d expect it to be in jeopardy again this year.
As great as Jefferson has been, the arrival of an offensive-minded head coach in Kevin O’Connell also helps. He’s the offensive coordinator that helped Cooper Kupp get over 2,000 cumulative yards in 2021 by consistently getting him the ball when everyone knew that’s what the Rams wanted to do. That gives optimism that Jefferson can become even greater and solidify his place among the NFL’s best.
Jefferson led the NFL in yards per touch in 2021 with 14.3, over a yard more than second place, which just happened to be Cooper Kupp with 13.2. There were, however, numerous times during the season that the Vikings offense stalled, unable to get the ball to their star playmaker. A big hope for Kevin O’Connell is he will eliminate the regularity of those three and outs that kept putting the Vikings in a hole during games.
Justin Jefferson is a favorite of Pro Football Focus. If you follow their Twitter account, you won’t have to wait long for a tweet that involves Jefferson, mainly because he grades so high with them. His 90.4 overall grade in his rookie season was followed up by a 90.1 overall grade in Year 2.
His 90.5 and 90.1 receiving grades make him one of only two wide receivers to have 90+ receiving grades for the past two seasons. The other one is Davante Adams. PFF has no doubt that Justin Jefferson is elite.
He appears on so many “best” lists for PFF, for example, as the third-highest graded WR against press coverage with 90.7. Behind only Cupp and Adams. The accolades will continue to roll in for the two-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team all-pro. He is not just a talented player but a man who is hungry for success.
He will want that Randy Moss record, and he will want that elusive first-team all-pro. Most of all, though, he will want success on the field as a team — like a Super Bowl. There is no doubt that Justin Jefferson belongs at the top.
For that reason, the Vikings need to make sure they give him the platform to do it all in Minnesota.
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