Justin Jefferson fell from the No. 1 spot among wide receivers in ESPN’s annual poll of the top-10 players at each position, but the Minnesota Vikings star remains one of the best.
However, the Vikings have not provided Jefferson with a quarterback of a similar ilk.
“Jefferson’s pro football path is already an Apple Maps search from Minneapolis to Canton,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 16. “And while Chase has a top-three passer targeting him, Jefferson has never played with a top-10 quarterback in Minnesota.”
He lost the No. 1 spot to ex-LSU teammate and friend, Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase.
Jefferson is expected to be a perennial contender for the No. 1 WR spot with a historic start to his career that includes an “NFL-record 7,432 receiving yards through his first five seasons.”
“He’s the best route runner and probably has the best hands,” an anonymous AFC executive who participated in the poll of 70 front office personnel, coaches, and scouts said, per Fowler. “The way he gets in and out of his breaks and uses his body to maneuver, it’s just really hard to get a handle on.”
Jefferson’s plight is the Vikings’, as the organization has navigated uncertainty at QB.
Justin Jefferson All-In on Vikings’ QB Plan
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates against the Chicago Bears.
An anonymous AFC scout told Fowler, “No wonder why Aaron Rodgers wanted to play [in Minnesota],” noting, “He would get one of the best playcallers [Kevin O’Connell], he plays in a dome and he gets Jefferson.”
The Vikings decided against signing Rodgers in a show of faith for 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, whom they traded up to acquire during last year’s draft.
McCarthy missed his rookie season with a knee injury.
In an arguably even bolder sign, the Vikings let 2024 starter and Pro Bowler Sam Darnold and in-season signing Daniel Jones leave in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.
Jefferson has been on board with helping bring McCarthy along, and the Vikings duo’s lockers are even right next to each other.
Jefferson said he is “excited” for McCarthy and to see what the QB does for the Vikings.
“I’m definitely expecting a lot from him,” Jefferson said in a video from his football camp at IMG Academy, which the school shared on July 12. “It’s definitely going to be exciting. Just being a leader of the team, being a captain of the team, seeing him go through the injury process, and him just waiting patiently for his chance, he’s going to do his thing.”
Fortunately for McCarthy, he will have what an unnamed personnel evaluator called “the separator” in Jefferson, who has always been confident in his ability to make plays regardless of who his quarterback is.
However, the lack of consistent QB play for Jefferson is an issue the Vikings can only hope they have addressed.
Vikings Need J.J. McCarthy to Stop QB Carousel
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Six quarterbacks have started at least once for the Vikings since they made Jefferson the No. 22 overall pick of the 2020 draft, per Stathead. Two – Darnold and four-timer Kirk Cousins, now of the Atlanta Falcons, have made the Pro Bowl in their careers.
Cousins, QB1 during that span, left in free agency in 2024. There has been speculation about a potential return to Minnesota, but the Vikings need McCarthy to be the answer at QB.
There is a reason they planned on drafting a QB even if Cousins returned in 2024.
Their decisions this offseason have only served as proof that they are emboldened in their conviction about McCarthy. He had an okay showing during the Vikings’ offseason program, even with Jefferson in the mix, but will get a step up in challenge in training camp.
Jefferson turned 26 in June and is starting a four-year, $140 million contract, giving the Vikings plenty of prime years to work with.
That does not mean they can afford to squander them with uneven QB play.
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