Justin Jefferson. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver on July 25th, 2024. Minnesota Vikings players participate in 2024 Minnesota Vikings Training Camp practice at the TCO Performance Center. The Vikings are expected to win around six or seven games in 2024.
If 53-man roster construction were up to Justin Jefferson, Trishton Jackson would likely make the cut on August 27th.
The Minnesota Vikings have 12 days to trim the roster from 91 players to 53, and if Jefferson’s endorsement is a reasonable indicator, Jackson could be included on the active roster this season.
Following Minnesota’s joint practices with the Cleveland Browns this week, Jefferson pounded the table for his 27-year-old teammate: “He’s a dog. He’s from Detroit. He has that Detroit mindset. Just the way he comes to work every single day — he’s a hooper, so he knows how to move and how to get open.”
Jackson, among roughly a dozen others, lives firmly on the Vikings’ roster bubble in a territory where no one will be too surprised if he makes the team or hits the practice squad.
“The catch point of the ball, he’s definitely making plays out there. He’s showing up every time on the film, so the more he shows up, the more has a chance to be out there on the field on Sundays,” Jefferson added.
Jackson also stood off the page last weekend in Minnesota’s preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The club’s leading receiver, he totaled 4 receptions for 100 yards on the nose and a touchdown — on 5 targets. The man looked great.
Why is Jackson’s on the roster bubble at all? Simple — the purple team’s roster showcases oodles of young wide receiver talent, and it’s unclear if Jackson is a shoo-in as the fourth or fifth WR. Here’s the corps at the moment:
Minnesota will keep around 4-6 of those players, so Jackson will hope to get the call as WR4 or WR5. Jackson saw action in 7 games last year with the Vikings, grabbing 2 passes for 9 yards. He also caught this crucial two-point conversion against the Atlanta Falcons — the Joshua Dobbs game — though such transactions don’t factor in a standard receiving statline.
Earlier this week, VikingsTerritory‘s Josh Frey made the case for Jackson’s 53-man roster conclusion while sizing up the state of the WR battle: “A sneaky name who could take over the role is Trishton Jackson, who has been hanging around the tail end of NFL rosters for each of his first four seasons. Jackson put together four receptions for 100 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown catch on a pass from J.J. McCarthy.”
All together, Jackson had a marvelous training camp, an even better preseason game, and Justin Jefferson is singing his praises.
He might be around for the long haul this season.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.