Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings was recently ranked as the best wide receiver in the NFL heading into the 2022 NFL season.
It’s only been two years since the Minnesota Vikings used their top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Justin Jefferson and he’s already regarded by some as the best wide receiver in the entire league.
Most recently, Pro Football Network’s Dalton Miller ranked the 32-best receivers in the NFL, and they placed Jefferson in the No. 1 spot.
The young Vikings wide receiver ranked ahead of some of the most electrifying pass-catchers in the sport, including Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, DeAndre Hopkins, and Ja’Marr Chase.
Will Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson become unstoppable in 2022?
Why exactly does Miller believe Jefferson should be regarded as the best wide receiver in the NFL as we head into the 2022 season? Well, luckily, he explained his reasoning.
"“The young man has no weakness as a receiver, aside from probably not being the best blocker at the position. Of the top receivers, that award is reserved for Cooper Kupp.His flexibility and burst make him the most dangerous route runner in the NFL.The questions from college were based on beating press. Well, just two years later, Jefferson’s one of the best at beating press coverage. He has a deep aDOT and is slippery after the catch, too. He averaged more yards per catch than any of the top five receivers.While Tyreek Hill still terrifies defensive coordinators more because of his extraordinary ability with the ball in his hands and unbelievable speed, no receiver gets open as consistently as Jefferson, no matter the route run or the coverage he faces."
It’s been incredible to watch Jefferson’s lightning-fast development during the first two years of his career in Minnesota.
Unfortunately, the Vikings haven’t been able to take advantage of having one of the best receivers in the game as they’ve missed the playoffs in both of his two seasons with the team.
With Kevin O’Connell now as Minnesota’s head coach, it’s possible that Jefferson could perform at an even higher level in 2022. For those that have been watching him during the last two years, it’s crazy to think that he possibly hasn’t even reached his full potential yet.
O’Connell is coming from a Los Angeles Rams team that just turned Cooper Kupp into an unstoppable offensive weapon last season. The Vikings will definitely be hoping that their new head coach can do something similar for Jefferson in 2022.
Jefferson was the only Minnesota wide receiver to land on Miller’s rankings. Former Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs also landed in the top-10 as he was given the No. 8 spot.