Over the past four seasons, the Minnesota Vikings have had one of the best passing attacks in the NFL, consistently finishing in the top half of the league. Even last season, when the Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to injury and dealt with inconsistent backup quarterbacks, their passing attack was the best in the NFL, finishing with 4,700 passing yards. The Vikings’ recent dominance through the air has been aided by great groups of wide receivers.
Leading the Vikings’ passing attack is star receiver Justin Jefferson, who has consistently been ranked among the league’s top ten players since entering the NFL in 2020. That’s no different here at Last Word on Sports.
In this year’s edition of Last Word on Sports‘ Top-40 NFL players ranking, Jefferson came in at 7.
Justin Jefferson Lands in the Top Ten of Last Word on Sports Top-40
In 2019, Jefferson had a breakout junior season at LSU, gaining 1,450 yards and 18 touchdowns alongside Joe Burrow and Ja’marr Chase. Following that successful season, Jefferson declared for the 2020 NFL draft. On draft night, Jefferson ended up failing down the board in the first round until the Vikings selected him at 22. Having the ability to select Jefferson that late in the first round was a blessing for the Vikings.
In his rookie season, Jefferson led the team in receptions with 88 and receiving yards with 1,400. He was also second on the team in average depth of target(ADOT) with an ADOT of 11.4 yards per catch. Jefferson quickly cemented himself as one of the NFL’s best receivers, earning himself a Pro Bowl selection, a second-team all-pro nomination, and winning Rookie of the Year.
Jefferson followed his rookie season up with an even better 2021. Leading the team in all statistical categories with 108 receptions for 1,616 yards, 10 touchdowns, and an ADOT of 12.4 yards per catch. Once again, Jeffe3rosn was named a Pro Bowler and was a second-team all-pro. In 2022, Jefferson led the entire NFL in yards with 1.809 and receptions with 128. He also led the Vikings in receiving touchdowns with eight. Jefferson’s dominance earned him a first-team All-Pro selection, another Pro Bowl appearance, and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.
This past season, Jefferson missed eight games due to a severe hamstring pull and a chest injury. Despite this, he still managed to have a solid season, finishing with 68 receptions for 1,064 yards and five touchdowns. Given the circumstances, Jefferson reaching 1,000 receiving yards shows how dominant he truly is.
Jefferson is looking to continue dominating NFL defenses with the Vikings after signing a four-year $140 million contract extension with the Vikings this offseason.
What Our Experts Are Saying
Our resident expert Mike Kashuba compiled the rankings and gave us a run-down of the choices. For Jefferson, he said:
It doesn’t matter that Jefferson missed almost half the season in 2023, he’s one of the best receivers in the league. Josh Dobbs and the ghosts of quarterbacks past took turns throwing to him in 2023, so if J.J. McCarthy is even an average quarterback it’s an upgrade.
Although the Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in this year’s draft, it seems unlikely he will start immediately. However, Jefferson has demonstrated the ability to develop chemistry with any quarterback. Even if Sam Darnold is the starter this season, Jefferson will put together a 1,000-yard season at minimum.
Main Photo: [Dave Reginek] – USA Today Sports
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