5 best prospects who could be available for the Vikings at pick No. 22
By Nik Edlund
Justin Jefferson – WR
Justin Jefferson is widely regarded as the fourth-best wide receiver in this year’s draft class. That’s huge praise when looking at the overall depth of the 2020 wide receivers group.
It’s as loaded a class as there’s ever been with potential starting-caliber players expected to still be available on the third day of the draft.
Jefferson is a very impressive player. He’s 6-foot-1 and he tips the scales at 202 pounds. He ran a very nice time in the 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds) at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, so he’s got the speed to get over the top on a defender and make a big, game-changing play.
He’s also coming off a season where he posted staggering numbers. Last year he caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. That’s crazy good production.
The Vikings need at wide receiver got a little larger following the recent trade of Stefon Diggs. While they still have Adam Thielen, the depth behind him gets real thin, real fast.
If Jefferson was still on the board at pick No. 22, it would be awfully hard for Minnesota to pass on him. They could work him out of the slot, where he proved to be uncoverable in college. The combination of him and Thielen wouldn’t be what it was with Diggs, but it has the potential to get there over time.
The Vikings do have bigger needs. But if they are truly going with the best player available and Jefferson is still on the board, he should be the choice.