Vikings

Kyle Brandt: Packers Will Regret Not Moving Up for Justin Jefferson

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Becker (USA TODAY Sports)

Everybody and their dad seems to be high on Justin Jefferson. Why wouldn’t they be? The rookie has been an absolute stud to start the season. He’s getting crazy love from fans and massive respect from fellow and former players. Pro Football Focus seems ready to change their website domain to justinjefferson.com.

But on the NFL Network, Good Morning Football’s Kyle Bryant threw a different angle at the conversation. He pointed out that if the Green Bay Packers had known what they were doing in the NFL Draft, the stud receiver would be in green and gold.

“You know which rookie I’m excited to see? I think maybe someone the Packers fans are excited to see,” he said on NFL Network recently. “It’s funny, because he plays for the Vikings: Justin Jefferson, Vikings wide receiver.

“Vikings-Packers this weekend. Let me just say that the Packers, there’s a lot of whispers right now that they might make a move for a wide receiver, they might want to upgrade their wide receiver corps. Coulda had this guy! Coulda had him! And they decided to draft a backup quarterback who will not play a snap for who knows how long?

“I think if Justin Jefferson hangs 120 yards and two touchdowns on the Packers, it’s gonna get real, real ripe in Green Bay. I think this weekend we’re gonna learn that, too.”

Now it’s important to point out that Jefferson was drafted 22nd and the Packers didn’t take Jordan Love until the 26th pick. But Brandt is just stumping for a previous opinion of his, that the Packers should’ve traded up to grab him — an opinion that was surely reinforced by Aaron Rodgers.

In Brandt’s now-infamous podcast with Rodgers over the summer, Rodgers lamented the green and gold’s performance, questioned his long-term future with the organization and said he “loved watching” Jefferson and wanted Green Bay to trade up to grab him.

Much of the off-season criticism the Packers received for their draft picks has come and gone due to the team’s incredible start and Super Bowl potential. BUT if they are unable to acquire a wide receiver before the trade deadline, and that position comes back to haunt them late in the year, those conversations will surely resurface.

In a season that already feels lost, it’s storylines like these that can keep the purple faithful enthusiastically coming back on Sundays. A Randy Moss-style explosion from Jefferson in Lambeau on Sunday? Packer fans, desperate for a second wide receiver, having to watch a 21-year-old stud that their quarterback wanted, tear through their defense? The pure joy of getting to rub a swing and miss in your Wisconsin-born neighbors and coworkers’ faces? Yeah, that’s the stuff.

And to get hyped up, I suppose it totally makes sense for us to watch Moss’ debut in Lambeau on Monday Night:

While we’re at it, I suppose we should probably watch Randy destroy the Packers in the playoffs:

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