From the moment Justin Jefferson first stepped foot on the field for the Minnesota Vikings after being taken in the first round of the 2020 draft with the 22nd overall pick, he's naturally drawn comparisons to Randy Moss, who many consider to be one of the top five wide receivers in NFL history.
And what's wild about Jefferson is that over the first five years of his career, he's actually posted better overall numbers than Moss did in his first five seasons in Minnesota (1998-2002), at least in terms of receptions and receiving yards, that is, holding a 495-414 edge in catches and a 7,432-6,743 advantage in yardage.
Moss easily takes the win in touchdowns at 60-40, but the overall and obvious point is that Jefferson has been magnificent and is clearly on track to someday join Moss in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper sees some similarities between Randy Moss and Justin Jefferson
And former Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper agrees. Culpepper, of course, took over as Minnesota's QB1 in 2000, and he and Moss were one of the deadliest duos in the NFL until Randy was traded to the Raiders in 2005. In a recent interview with Betway, during which he offered up some bold predictions for young J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings as a whole for the upcoming 2025 season, Culpepper was asked to compare the two wideouts, and this was his response:
"Honestly, I mean Randy is a special football player and an athlete, and Justin is a similar type of guy based on the numbers he’s put up.
"Randy’s just one of the most gifted athletes I’ve ever seen, as far as just being able to run and jump and make plays. JJ is very gifted as well, and he’s early in his career, but if he continues at the pace he’s going, he’s going to be in the same conversations as Randy Moss.
"I wouldn’t say JJ is as just physically gifted as Randy, he has the same playmaking ability. I’m excited to watch JJ do his thing. They’re both phenomenal players. and when it’s all said and done, if he stays healthy and continues on the path he’s on, he will be in the talks of some of the greatest receivers ever to play the game."
Culpepper went on to say how fortunate he was to have such a great receiver like Moss in his early days as an NFL starter, as it gave him more confidence, much like McCarthy, who, of course, missed his rookie campaign with a knee injury, will have Jefferson.
And assuming he stays healthy, McCarthy will help Jefferson break Moss' record for the most receiving yards by a player in his first six NFL seasons, as Jefferson needs just 944 yards to set the new mark.