Minnesota will have to rely on new players to fill voids next season.
One of those new players is Justin Jefferson. The Vikings drafted him No. 22 overall, using one of the picks the team acquired in the Stefon Diggs trade.
Now that Diggs is gone, it will likely take a by-committee effort to replace him. But much of the wide receiver production will rest on Adam Thielen and Jefferson.
Pro Football Focus recently listed what it thinks each team needs out of its rookie class. The answer for the Vikings? Jefferson will need to show he can consistently win as an outside receiver. Here’s what else PFF said:
“The biggest thing that the Vikings need to see heading into next season is that Jefferson can consistently win against press coverage on the outside. Much of his production at LSU came through finding holes in zone from the slot, rarely facing press-man coverage outside. It’s not so much that he can’t do it — and his combine results indicate he has the athleticism to do so — but it’s something Jefferson needs to display in game action if he is to truly replace what Diggs gave them.”
If Jefferson becomes an outside threat, that adds to the Vikings receiving corps, which already has a very good slot threat in Thielen. But it’s also fine if Thielen and Jefferson move inside and outside, which seems probable to happen.