In the first two seasons of his career, Justin Jefferson has already accomplished what many receivers can only dream of. No one at his position has more receiving yards and receptions in his first two years in the NFL. As he enters his third season, it would be understandable to suspect he’s already hit his ceiling.
But if you ask Jefferson, he believes there’s another level to his game. In an interview with Complex.com, Jefferson said that he believes he’s not the NFL’s best receiver yet, but he will be by the end of this season.
“I’ll say after this year, I’ll be the best receiver in the NFL,” Jefferson said. “I definitely have to give it to [Las Vegas Raiders receiver] Davante Adams as of now, him being so crazy and dynamic on the field. His route running is crazy, so I definitely have to give it to him right now. But I’m pretty sure after this year, it’s going to be me.”
Sounds like a bold claim. But it’s also totally possible. What else does Jefferson need to do to prove he’s the best receiver? And to what heights can he take the Vikings if this comes to fruition?
Since joining the Vikings in 2020, Jefferson ranks first in receiving yards (3,016), seventh in receptions (196), and 10th in receiving touchdowns, league-wide. While several guys can plausibly lay claim the title of being the best receiver in the league, Jefferson’s most accurate comparisons are to Adams and Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams.
While Jefferson doesn’t have his counterparts’ reception numbers or touchdowns, the answer may not lie in his stats. Instead, it could be how each team uses each receiver. Placing Jefferson in “The Cooper Kupp Role” has been talked about relentlessly throughout the offseason. But perhaps the better comparison is how the Green Bay Packers used Adams.
According to Pro Football Focus, Adams ran 44.1% of his routes out of the slot last season. He led the NFL with 3.49 yards per route run in the slot. While his usage wasn’t as high as Kupp’s 62.6% snap rate in the slot, it alludes to the versatility that Jefferson references in his answer.
Enter Kevin O’Connell.
The new Vikings head coach helped Kupp win the receiving triple crown last year, and he might have the scheme to truly unleash his potential. But while keeping Jefferson exclusively in the slot isn’t a terrible idea, it would limit what he could do for the Vikings’ offense. If O’Connell’s scheme is as pass-heavy as Jefferson hinted this offseason, that should create more ways to get him the ball — and help him take a serious run at Adams’ title as the best receiver in the NFL.
But there’s another way that Jefferson can deliver on his claim: becoming a consistent receiver.
“I have to do it three years in a row for everyone to believe [that I’m the best receiver],” Jefferson said. “Some people don’t think after two years, you deserve to be at the top of the league.”
To prove Jefferson’s point, Adams and Kupp have become the NFL’s model of consistency. But they also have had their hiccups.
Adams got off to a slow start in his career before posting 1,000 yards in three of the past four seasons. Kupp suffered a torn ACL during the 2018 season and was a victim of poor quarterback play in 2020. Neither receiver has put together three straight monster seasons. It’s the next step for Jefferson to achieve superstardom.
Consider that Jerry Rice had 10 straight seasons of over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns from 1986 until 1996. Calvin Johnson posted 1,000 yards or more seven times during his nine-year career, and Randy Moss opened his career with six straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Each of those players was considered the best receiver in the league at one point during their career, and Jefferson is capable of doing the same. If the Vikings’ offense can unlock another level to Jefferson’s game, he should be a shoo-in for achieving that honor. It’s how he helps turn Minnesota from a middling franchise to a bona fide Super Bowl contender.
Jefferson will need to stay on the field and enjoy elite quarterback play to make that happen. But if Jefferson has taught us anything in his first two seasons, it’s that anything is possible when Kirk Cousins throws the ball in his direction.
