10 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings 2023 season
By Chris Schad
Prediction No. 3
Justin Jefferson will become the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver
Justin Jefferson flirted with hitting the 2,000-yard mark last season, but a rough game in Green Bay torpedoed those hopes late in the season. Entering Year 4, Jefferson could be better than ever, and there’s a good chance that he’ll have an outside chance at becoming the first 2,000-yard receiver in NFL history.
Jefferson quickly became one of the top receivers in the game, and nobody has more receiving yards than he has over the first three years of his career. While some receivers are boom-or-bust candidates, Jefferson has been a model of consistency, and that’s made him a reliable target for Cousins – even when they are down to their last gasp.
The scary part is that Jefferson has found a way to get better every season and is still just 24 years old. When talking to fellow Vikings legend Cris Carter during training camp, he told him that he’s found even more ways to improve his game and showed an example, making a one-handed grab while running through an obstacle course.
Jefferson is bound to see some exotic coverages this season, and teams will do whatever they can to slow him down. But if the Vikings running game and heavier personnel packages have their desired effect, Jefferson could be in line for another historic season.