Reviewing the performance of the Vikings 2020 rookie class
By Nik Edlund
Justin Jefferson – WR (LSU)
2020 Stats:
- 88 catches
- 1,400 yards
- 7 touchdowns
Justin Jefferson was a huge surprise for the Minnesota Vikings this season. The team took him with the pick they landed from trading Stefon Diggs to the Bills, so expectations were high for this youngster coming in. He absolutely smashed those. Jefferson went on to have the best rookie receiving season in the history of the NFL since the merger back in 1970.
Jefferson is by no means a one-trick pony and can beat teams in so many ways. He has great top speed and can blow by a defender, and he is already an exceptional route runner who can create separation against veteran defensive backs. Jefferson can go up and high point a ball, catch it while being blanketed, and also plays with a ton of heart and passion and will fight and scrap for every extra yard he can get.
For whatever reason, the Vikings didn’t target Jefferson much early in the season. If they had, he would’ve smashed the records instead of just breaking them. It’s not often a team knows they found their number one anything in a draft following year one, but the Vikings realize they found their number one wide receiver for the foreseeable future.