Everyone saw what Justin Jefferson could do last month against the Tennessee Titans. The Vikings’ rookie receiver loudly introduced himself to the world with 175 receiving yards in that game, which included a highlight-reel touchdown where he tracked down a deep pass along the sideline, then made a couple of defenders miss on his way to the end zone.
Yet it was more modest play last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks that proved Jefferson is here to stay. With the Vikings choosing to roll the dice on fourth down early in the game, Jefferson ran a crisp out-and-in route, then effortlessly hauled in a pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins for a first down.
Justin Jefferson moves the sticks on 4th down pic.twitter.com/WkMy0f4eqe
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) October 12, 2020
Asked about the play, Jefferson responded, “It was Kirk trusting in me to run it and get open and get the first down.”
Which is exactly what he did.
That’s a good sign for the Vikings. As much as they need Jefferson to be a deep threat to take the top of the defense, they also need him to be a reliable possession receiver that can help consistently move the chains.
That’s something Jefferson has been working on since being drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
“It’s come a long way, to be honest,” Jefferson said. “Just really trying to practice every single route and get good at the whole route tree. I want to be able to do whatever route is asked of me. It will help me out on the field just winning those one-on-one battles and having that confidence that I can go out there and run any route.”
Entering Sunday’s game against Atlanta at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jefferson is the highest-rated rookie receiver by Pro Football Focus and it’s not even close. He has a grade of 90.6, with Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Laviska Shenault as the next closest at 75.6.
Highest-graded rookie WRs:
1. Justin Jefferson – 90.6
2. Laviska Shenault Jr. – 75.4
3. Brandon Aiyuk – 71.8
4. Chase Claypool – 71.0
5. Gabriel Davis – 70.7 pic.twitter.com/5YlXnwnJY6— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 9, 2020
“He’s a very complete receiver,” Cousins said. “It’s going to be the whole route tree with him. It’s going to be lining up in a lot of different spots on the field. We are going to ask him to do just about everything that we could ask a receiver to do.”
None of this comes as a surprise to Cousins after he watched Jefferson make big play after big play in training camp. Still, Cousins acknowledged being interested to see how Jefferson performed during an actual game.
“I think the challenge with evaluating a teammate like that in training camp is they aren’t being brought to the ground,” Cousins said. “It’s hard to know how dynamic a player is because the whistle is blown dead the second a defensive player runs by him and taps him on the leg.
“You see the touchdown against the Titans, where he pulls away from the person in man coverage, and also makes the safety miss and scores a touchdown. In practice all August, that play is blown dead on the 15-yard line or wherever he caught the ball. You don’t get a chance to see what he can do in those situations until we are actually playing.”
Since Jefferson stepped into the spotlight following his breakout game last month he’s handled himself like a veteran, so much so that offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak sometimes has to remind himself that Jefferson is still learning the ropes.
“You have try to be very cognizant of that situation,” Kubiak said. “I want Justin to stay healthy and be on the field every week this year, and if he does that, I think we’re going to see production. He’s got a very bright future.”
BRIEFLY
— On Saturday, the Falcons placed defensive end John Cominsky on the reserve/COVID-19 list and announced that defensive line coaches Jess Simpson and Tosh Lupoi would not accompany the team to Minnesota for Sunday’s game. In the meantime, outside linebackers coach Aden Durde will assist with coaching the defensive line. The Falcons also elevated from the practice squad linebacker Edmond Robinson, who played for the Vikings from 2015-16, and defensive tackle Chris Slayton.
–Seahawks cornerback Tre Flowers was fined $4,651 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness for a third-quarter hit on Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr., a source said. Flowers was penalized on the play for unnecessary roughness in Seattle’s 27-26 win.
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October 17, 2020 at 08:00PM
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Vikings rookie Justin Jefferson developing into complete receiver - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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