Bleacher Report predicts Justin Jefferson will be huge on the Minnesota Vikings
With training camp on the horizon, all eyes will be on how the Minnesota Vikings adjust to life without star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The football world was completely stunned when news broke out that they traded such an impact player this offseason. Yes, the Vikings got a lot back in return which will only help the future of the franchise but still, Diggs leaves behind some pretty big shoes to fill.
The Vikings knew that going into the 2020 NFL Draft, they needed to draft his replacement to keep the momentum going from last season. It’s no secret that the Vikings’ offense was indeed a strength last season and whether fans agree with it or not, Diggs had a huge part in that. This is why the Vikings easily drafted wide receiver Justin Jefferson out of LSU to hopefully have similar production.
Considering that in 2019 Diggs totaled 1,130 receiving yards, 63 receptions, and six touchdowns show what he brought to the table. When it came down to clutch moments that needed to happen for the Vikings to leave a game victorious, quarterback Kirk Cousins would always look for No. 14. Now with that gone, a potential new era will begin for the Vikings at wide receiver and hopefully, it’ll be just as good if not better.
Justin Jefferson predicted to take NFL by storm on the Minnesota Vikings
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In an article written by Chris Roling of Bleacher Report, he predicted which seven rookies would take the NFL by storm this upcoming season. Jefferson made the cut as Roling broke down some great points as to why Jefferson could turn into a household name sooner than expected.
In his collegiate career, Jefferson totaled 2,415 receiving yards, 165 receptions, 24 touchdowns, and averaged 14.6 yards per catch. These are some pretty impressive stats in just three years at LSU as Jefferson is an extremely smart player who should have an easy transition to the pros.
If Jefferson is able to put everything together and put up similar stats at the pro level, he will truly be a force to reckon with. Especially if he can get into an early rhythm with Cousins as a premier red-zone threat.
Hopefully, the Vikings got it right and drafted a future cornerstone on offense that will help them push the envelope in 2020. They did well last season but didn’t have all the necessary pieces to get the job done straight to the big game. Most of that was on the defensive side of the football but considering the NFL is a passing league, it never hurts to keep adding talent to what should be a solid receiving corps.
Overall, Jefferson does indeed have the potential to take the NFL by storm if he’s able to develop quicker than expected and leave it all on the gridiron. It won’t be easy in what should be a very competitive NFC North but Jefferson has all the talent needed to consistently thrive. Now it’s just a matter of football finally getting here and playing games that actually count.