5 reasons why Justin Jefferson will instantly impact the Vikings in 2020
By Chris Schad
Jefferson is a beast in contested catch situations
One of the biggest strengths of Stefon Diggs’ game is that if the ball is thrown in his direction, he’s coming down with it. Since 2017, Diggs has been the best receiver in the NFL in contested catch rate, hauling in 61 percent of his targets in these situations.
There’s another conversation here about Kirk Cousins’ willingness to throw to his receivers in such situations. But the good news is there shouldn’t be a dropoff with Justin Jefferson. PFF charted Jefferson with a 92.3 percent contested catch rate, the highest mark in the nation.
The biggest reason for Jefferson’s ability to win isn’t because he has elite route-running skills, but he’s more of a technician to put himself in a position to make a play. When the ball is in the air, Jefferson uses subtle movements to fool defenders and he then goes up and tracks the ball.
MNVikingsCorner.com’s Daniel House is one analyst who has pointed out how Jefferson does this.
When the Vikings threw the ball to Diggs, there was a good chance he was going to wind up with the ball. When the Vikings throw to Jefferson, there’s a good chance that the same thing is going to happen.