As good as Justin Jefferson was in his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings, have expectations gotten too high in Year 2?
Justin Jefferson set the NFL on fire in his first season with the Minnesota Vikings after breaking the rookie receiving record with 1,400 yards to his name. He also did so without being a major part of the offense in the first two weeks of the season.
Now, Jefferson is heading into his second season with a much-improved Vikings team that has its sights set on the playoffs. In that quest for a playoff berth, the Vikings will need another strong showing on offense after being one of the best units in the league last season.
Several factors will play into Minnesota’s offense, but none may be more important than the play of Kirk Cousins behind a good offensive line. If Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis both play up to their draft value, the Vikings will finally have a formidable line to protect Cousins and Dalvin Cook.
Minnesota also drafted Kellen Mond to potentially take the job from Kirk Cousins in a year or two which could affect Cousins’ performance. Will he rise above the challenge similar to Aaron Rodgers did last season, or will he fold under pressure?
Luckily for the Vikings, Cousins will have one of the best receiving duos on the NFL when he steps on the field in 2021 with Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson set to take the stage once again. The pair combined for 2,325 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in their first season together.
Can Jefferson live up to his new expectations in his second season?