Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches a touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Mullens (not pictured) as Detroit Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton (1) defends during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
It comes off as a non-story, which it kind of is, but the newly-paid Justin Jefferson was still sneakily one of the best wide receivers on planet Earth in the year 2023, despite only playing ten games.
As fans of our teams and sports as a whole, we have a tendency to rely only on box score numbers and equivalencies to judge players and figure out who is the best of the best. It’s plenty defensible, as it is hard to call someone who isn’t near the top of season-end total production one of the best at their position during a given year.
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Despite only playing ten games, Jefferson was still 19th in the NFL in receiving yards in 2023. However, when you look at it a different way and look at players on a per-play basis, which is usually a more accurate approach to evaluating talent, you can see who the true alphas are, and that’s exactly what Jefferson is, in a surprise to absolutely no one.
Looking at how he graded out with Pro Football Focus, he was awarded a 91.1 encompassed offensive grade (3rd in NFL) and a 91.2 grade on pass plays (4th in NFL). PFF also tracked him at 2.91 yards per route run, also 4th in the NFL.
Jan 7, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) catches a pass for a touchdown and celebrates with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) during the second half of the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
On a per-play basis, according to Reception Perception, Jefferson cleared the 90th percentile against man, zone, and pressed coverages, scoring in the 90th, 90th, and 98th percentile, respectively. Jefferson’s 84.2% success rate against press coverage is absurd by every meaning of the word, and his 71.2% success rate against double coverage is nothing to scoff at either, given he was doubled on 15.8% of his routes.
Not including the game against Kansas City, where Jefferson suffered his injury, he averaged 135.8 yards per game, an absolutely absurd number. Jefferson’s box score production didn’t exactly fall off a cliff when Kirk Cousins went down with an injury, either.
Oct 18, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) breaks the goal line for a 49-yard touchdown reception as Atlanta Falcons safety Ricardo Allen (37) gives chase in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
Not including the game where he left with an injury in his return against Las Vegas, Jefferson still averaged 119 yards per game while catching passes from either Jaren Hall, Nick Mullens, or Josh Dobbs at any given point. Two games against the Detroit Lions fell in the window of rotating doors ‒ a team Jefferson has always torched.
With the Vikings now entering the post-Cousins era, there is fear that Jefferson may not be the WR1 in the NFL that we’ve grown accustomed to having on the field every Sunday. However, even with his lingering injuries in 2023, his play with well-below average quarterbacks should be seen as a beacon of hope that O’Connell knows exactly how to get his best talent the ball, no matter who is under center.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson celebrates after catching a pass against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
Whether it’s Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, Mullens, Hall, or even O’Connell buckling the chin-strap again, if Jefferson is on the field, he will get his.
Source link : https://purpleptsd.com/2024/vikings/vikings-analysis/justin-jefferson-main/
Author :
Publish date : 2024-07-30 12:30:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
