Tag: Justin Jefferson

Seahawks great Golden Tate ranks the NFL’s top-5 wide receivers for 2022

Here’s who he ranked as the best in the game right now.

Former Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate had a great NFL career and is now working as an analyst for NFL Network. Yesterday, he shared his list of the top-five receivers in the league going into the 2022 season.

Here’s who he ranked as the best in the game right now:

1. Davante Adams (Raiders)
2. Cooper Kupp (Rams)
3. Justin Jefferson (Vikings)
4. Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals)
5. De’Andre Hopkins (Cardinals)

Sounds about right from where we’re sitting. The truth is that the top of the wide receiver talent pool in the NFL is extremely deep, though and just five names doesn’t seem fair.

If we were asked to add to Tate’s list and make it a top-25, it would go something like this:

6. Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)
7. Stefon Diggs (Bills)
8. Deebo Samuel (49ers)
9. Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
10. Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
11. D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks)
12. Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
13. A.J. Brown (Eagles)
14. Julio Jones (Free agent)
15. Odell Beckham Jr. (Free agent)
16. CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)
17. Keenan Allen (Chargers)
18. Mike Williams (Chargers)
19. Tee Higgins (Bengals)
20. Amari Cooper (Browns)
21. Terry McLaurin (Commanders)
22. Brandin Cooks (Texans)
23. Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)
24. DeVonta Smith (Eagles)
25. Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins)

You can watch the video of Tate’s top five on Youtube here:

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Consistency Rankings – Wide Receivers

Consistent wideouts are key to a high fantasy scoring every week

This ranking considers wide receivers  that started at least  11 games in 2021. Fantasy points were derived using 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received, six-point touchdowns rushed and one point receptions. The consistency in scoring at least 15 fantasy points per game declined rapidly.

15 Pt Games Consistency Gms 15 pt 25 pt 5 catch 100 yds TD
Cooper Kupp 94% 17 16 8 17 11 11
Deebo Samuel 81% 16 13 4 9 5 5
Justin Jefferson 71% 17 12 3 13 7 9
Diontae Johnson 69% 16 11 1 15 3 7
Davante Adams 63% 16 10 6 15 8 8
Stefon Diggs 59% 17 10 1 12 2 9
Chris Godwin 57% 14 8 4 11 5 5
Jaylen Waddle 56% 16 9 3 10 1 5
Keenan Allen 56% 16 9 0 13 4 5
Adam Thielen 54% 13 7 2 8 1 8
Hunter Renfrow 53% 17 9 1 12 3 8
Brandin Cooks 50% 16 8 1 11 4 5
Mike Evans 50% 16 8 3 9 2 9
Mike Williams 50% 16 8 3 8 4 7
DeAndre Hopkins 50% 10 5 1 4 0 6
Michael Pittman Jr. 47% 17 8 1 11 2 5
CeeDee Lamb 44% 16 7 2 8 3 4
Tyler Lockett 44% 16 7 5 6 5 6
Tee Higgins 43% 14 6 2 8 4 5
Darnell Mooney 41% 17 7 0 12 4 4
DK Metcalf 41% 17 7 2 9 1 8
Ja’Marr Chase 41% 17 7 4 9 5 9
Tyreek Hill 41% 17 7 5 11 3 6
Amari Cooper 40% 15 6 2 6 2 7
A.J. Brown 38% 13 5 3 6 3 5
Russell Gage Jr. 38% 13 5 1 7 2 4
Amon-Ra St. Brown 38% 16 6 3 9 2 5
Marquise Brown 38% 16 6 1 11 3 5
Christian Kirk 35% 17 6 0 9 1 4
D.J. Moore 35% 17 6 1 12 3 3
Jarvis Landry 33% 12 4 0 6 1 2
DeVonta Smith 29% 17 5 0 6 2 4
Marvin Jones 29% 17 5 0 8 1 4
Allen Lazard 29% 14 4 0 4 0 7
Cedrick Wilson 29% 14 4 1 3 2 5
Elijah Moore 27% 11 3 2 4 1 4
Randall Cobb 27% 11 3 0 1 0 3
Chase Claypool 27% 15 4 0 5 1 2
A.J. Green 25% 16 4 0 5 2 3
Brandon Aiyuk 25% 16 4 0 4 1 5
Cole Beasley 25% 16 4 0 7 1 1
Tyler Boyd 25% 16 4 0 6 1 5
Jamison Crowder 25% 12 3 0 5 0 2
Terry McLaurin 24% 17 4 3 6 4 4

The Top-8 receivers in 15-point games almost all have something different going on this season. Deebo Samuel is unhappy despite being wildly productive. Diontae Johnson lost his quarterback, Davante Adams changed teams, Chris Godwin comes off ACL surgery in an offense that promises to run more often and Jaylen Waddle suddenly has Tyreek Hill in front of him (though the ex-Chief only managed 41% in consistency).

Still, all the top-scoring fantasy wideouts of 2021 appear well in the metric. There were 15 receivers that managed 15+ points in at least half of their games, almost as many as the running backs (17).

Even DeAndre Hopkins hit the 50% mark in his down year. The biggest factor in consistent fantasy scoring wasn’t touchdowns or even yardage, but clearly receptions.

25 Point Games 5 Catch Games 100 Yard Games TD Games
Cooper Kupp 8 Cooper Kupp 17 Cooper Kupp 11 Cooper Kupp 11
Davante Adams 6 Diontae Johnson 15 Davante Adams 8 Justin Jefferson 9
Tyler Lockett 5 Davante Adams 15 Justin Jefferson 7 Stefon Diggs 9
Tyreek Hill 5 Justin Jefferson 13 Deebo Samuel 5 Mike Evans 9
Deebo Samuel 4 Keenan Allen 13 Chris Godwin 5 Ja’Marr Chase 9
Chris Godwin 4 Stefon Diggs 12 Tyler Lockett 5 Davante Adams 8
Ja’Marr Chase 4 Hunter Renfrow 12 Ja’Marr Chase 5 Adam Thielen 8
Justin Jefferson 3 Darnell Mooney 12 Keenan Allen 4 Hunter Renfrow 8
Jaylen Waddle 3 D.J. Moore 12 Brandin Cooks 4 DK Metcalf 8
Mike Evans 3 Chris Godwin 11 Mike Williams 4 Diontae Johnson 7
Mike Williams 3 Brandin Cooks 11 Tee Higgins 4 Mike Williams 7
A.J. Brown 3 Michael Pittman Jr. 11 Darnell Mooney 4 Amari Cooper 7
Amon-Ra St. Brown 3 Tyreek Hill 11 Terry McLaurin 4 Allen Lazard 7
Terry McLaurin 3 Marquise Brown 11 K.J. Osborn 7
Jaylen Waddle 10

There 15 receivers with five catches in at least ten games, and that bodes well for Michael Pittman who’s trended up despite inheriting a new aging veteran at quarterback each year.  Cooper Kupp’s domination at the position is evident above when he topped every category.

The other receivers that fared well with high-catch games included Darnell Mooney, Hunter Renfrow, D.J. Moore, Brandin Cooks and Marquise Brown who slides over to the Cardinals for 2022 while Rashod Bateman steps up to the Ravens’ No. 1 wideout spot.

Adam Thielen’s choice for NFL’s best receiver won’t surprise you

Thielen gives the ultimate compliment

Being a two-time Pro Bowler and nine-year NFL veteran receiver gives Adam Thielen an elevated opinion when it comes to naming the best player in the game at his position.

The options are obviously endless with standout players like Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel and even Ja’Marr Chase. There are some legitimate otherworldly talents catching footballs for a living in the NFL today, including the obvious one that lines up across from Thielen at practice, Justin Jefferson.

He’s the receiver that broke Odell Beckham Jr.’s record for most receiving yards in his first two years in the league. It’s the same player that nearly broke legendary receiver Randy Moss’ record for most single-season receiving yards in Vikings franchise history.

Pro Football Focus asked if Jefferson was the best wide receiver in the NFL on social media, and Thielen’s response was right to the point.

As great of a season Jefferson had in 2021, he still sort of flew under the radar a bit due to the Vikings missing the playoffs, again.

Kupp, Chase, Hill and Adams stole all of the attention, despite Jefferson finishing only second in total receiving yards (1,616) with 108 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

However, he’s being paired with the same offensive mind that helped Kupp hoist a Super Bowl MVP last season. So the 2022 season could finally be the year where the world gives Jefferson the recognition he deserves.

And maybe, just maybe, his on-field play will convince others to come along to Thielen’s way of thinking.

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NFL.com sees one CB as a top-10 matchup for Justin Jefferson

Grab your popcorn for this WR/CB matchup

Bank this one under NFL firsts with Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson headed to South Beach for a head-to-head showdown with Miami Dolphins First-Team All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard.

NFL.com has the much-anticipated meeting between the multiple-time Pro Bowlers ranked eighth in a top-10 list of the best cornerback and receiver matchups in 2022.

This Week 6 matchup has the potential to be an offensive shootout with the Dolphins adding speed demon Tyreek Hill to their already loaded receiving corps. So the Vikings will be looking at Jefferson to help them match fire with fire on the other end.

But Howard is going to be an insanely difficult matchup.

This will be one of those games where head coach Kevin O’Connell could make a world of difference for the Vikings. He was able to move Cooper Kupp all over the place to consistently exploit matchups for the Los Angeles Rams when he was an offensive coordinator. So you can expect for him to look to do the same thing for Jefferson in Minnesota.

But as a football fan, it’s going to be fun just watching “Jets” line up with Howard on the field, man-to-man. No excuses—just two of the best in the game at their craft.

Get your popcorn ready for that battle.

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Justin Jefferson named in NFL.com’s dark horse MVP candidates

“Jets” could soar to even greater heights in Kevin O’Connell’s offense

Justin Jefferson could be on the brink of a Cooper Kupp sort of year with coach Kevin O’Connell jumping ship from the Los Angeles Rams to the Minnesota Vikings.

NFL.com’s Adam Schein has even gone as far as ranking the Vikings star wideout eighth on his list of top-nine dark horse MVP candidates.

It makes sense considering Kupp was in that very same spot with the Rams last season. The award was obviously given to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but Kupp’s name was consistently in the mix in a year where he hauled in a ridiculous 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The fact that he didn’t win the award means Jefferson might have to go over 2,000 receiving yards to make a legitimate case for himself. It’s a quarterback-driven league, and the players under center will always have an edge when it comes to the MVP award.

However, Jefferson wasn’t too far off last season with 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The hope is that O’Connell will scheme the offense in ways that could potentially make him pop even more on the field. And given the elite talent at the skilled positions for the Vikings, it’s going to be harder for teams to key in on him defensively.

A healthier Adam Thielen will play a significant role in the offense, and the team already has two budding young receiving talents in K.J. Osborn and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Tight end Irv Smith Jr. will be returning as well to an offense that’s also expected to get running back Dalvin Cook more involved in the passing attack.

This Vikings roster is loaded on the offensive side of the ball.

And Jefferson, 22, is only scratching the surface of what he’s truly capable of as a receiver at the NFL level. He’s as live as it gets as a potential dark horse candidate when it comes to non-quarterbacks.

The threat of that untapped potential being completely unleashed under O’Connell is a terrifying one that should keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night.

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Creed Humphrey, CeeDee Lamb among Pro Football Focus’ top 25 players under 25

Creed Humphrey and CeeDee Lamb were included in Pro Football Focus’ top 25 players under 25.

Though the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t produce a first-round draft pick in each of the last two seasons, however, the Sooners aren’t lacking for star power across the league. The quarterbacks might grab the headlines, but it’s a couple of former Sooners that don’t play quarterback that are among some of the NFL’s best players under 25.

Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema ranked the top-25 players under 25 years of age in the NFL and Creed Humphrey and CeeDee Lamb were featured. Coming in at No. 1 was San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa. Let’s see what Sikkema had to say about the pair of former Sooners listed.

16. Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs

Humphrey’s rookie campaign was sensational. He played the most snaps of any rookie offensive lineman (1,184) and notched the best grade, too (91.4). In fact, his elite overall grade was fourth-highest for all offensive linemen and first among all centers. He and fellow rookie Trey Smith were a big reason the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line was as improved as it was in 2021. It was an incredible start to Humphrey’s career, especially considering he opted out of the 2020 college football season. – Sikkema, PFF

Creed Humphrey was arguably the best center in the NFL in 2021. He finished third in the offensive rookie of the year voting behind Ja’Marr Chase and Mac Jones. Pretty incredible considering the two players to finish in front of him play higher-profile positions. The fact that voters took notice of Humphrey’s rookie season is a testament to his transition to the league and his importance in the Kansas City Chiefs offense.

Only two offensive linemen under 25 came in ahead of Humphrey; Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs and Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, who Humphrey finished in front of in the rookie of the year voting.

17. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

After two solid seasons for Lamb in 2020 and 2021, he has the chance to really break out as a superstar this upcoming year. Lamb recorded 935 and 1,105 receiving yards in each of his past two seasons, which shouldn’t be viewed as a disappointment in any way. But now, with Amari Cooper gone, Lamb will be viewed as the unquestioned WR1 in a potent Dallas passing offense. He is one of the most talented young receivers in the game, and we’re expecting a career year in 2022. – Sikkema, PFF

Lamb was the fourth wide receiver to be named to the top 25 list behind Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, and D.K. Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks.

The former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver is off to a great start to his career. His performance has been so encouraging that the Cowboys felt they could move on from Amari Cooper, who they traded a first-round draft pick for and signed to a big-money deal. Lamb now looks to be the WR1 for the high-volume Dallas Cowboys passing attack and has a great chance to build off of his 1,100-yard season in 2021.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Eagles’ A.J. Brown lands high on a PFF list of NFL’s best wide receivers against press coverage

Philadelphia Eagles’ star A.J. Brown lands high on a PFF list of the NFL’s best wide receivers against press coverage

The NFL is a timing-based league and the most successful quarterbacks around the league thrive because they have pass catchers that can beat press coverage.

DeVonta Smith was a top-10 pick because of his ability to flourish in tight spots and Eagles GM Howie Roseman just acquired one of the best in the business, which should allow Jalen Hurts to take the next steps as a passer.

PFF recently listed the highest graded wide receivers in the NFL against tight press coverage, and Brown landed at No. 4 on the list behind Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, and Cooper Kupp.

In a stat that’ll make Eagles fans even more upset, Jefferson has the highest PFF grade since entering the league, catching 72 of the 109 targets thrown his way against press coverage despite teams including Philadelphia passing him up due to concerns about his ability as an outside receiver.

Brown for his part has snagged 46 of the 75 targets thrown his way in press coverage over the past two seasons.

Brown also has 7 touchdowns in 264 snaps against press coverage over the past two seasons and he’s third in the NFL in target rate against press coverage over that time as well.

The addition of the former Titans star will trickle down to DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Dallas Goedert across the middle.

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2022 NFL schedule: 5 must-see games involving the Eagles

2022 NFL schedule release: 5 must-see games involving the Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have known their 2022 NFL regular season opponents for months now, but in just a few hours, fans and experts alike will find out the when, where and who of the schedule release.

Philadelphia will play their normal allotment of NFC East games, along with matchups against the AFC South and NFC North.

The schedule also features matchups against the Saints, Steelers, and Cardinals as well. With the schedule release looming, here are five must-see games for fans that’ll involve the Eagles this season.

Remembering LSU’s biggest underdog victories in recent years

Here are some of LSU’s biggest upsets since 2010.

All things considered, LSU has been a lot better football program than most, especially over the last two decades. Because of that, it has been the favorite more often than not when it takes the field. Despite that, the Tigers have still had their fair share of underdog fights.

Since 2010, LSU has played 37 games as a dog. It’s 14-23 in that span, but that gives LSU the eighth-best underdog win rate in the Power Five in that span.

Twelve of those 37 games have come over the last two years. That’s not a shock considering these last two seasons have been some of the worst LSU has seen in a long time. It went 4-8 in those 12 games, which included the win over Florida in 2020 and the win against Texas A&M just last November.

Here, we’ll look at some of LSU’s most impressive underdog wins since 2010, a time period that spans three coaches, a couple SEC titles and a national title.

Some of these wins have gone down as some of the most memorable in LSU history, changing the trajectory of the program. Others may not have the biggest historical weight, but were still fun to watch at the time.

Let’s dive right in, starting with a classic night clash in Death Valley circa 2014.

Sad face filter of Vikings players will have you laughing hysterically

Wait until you see Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.

If you needed a little pick-me-up to brighten your Tuesday morning, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Blake Proehl, otherwise known as the social media extraordinaire, is at your service.

He recently uploaded a TikTok video of himself prowling around the team facilities looking for any and everybody he could get with the sad face filter. The players are obviously getting back into the groove of organized team activities, and Proehl is looking to turn some of those smiles upside down.

The caption on the video reads, “My teammates were a little upset today.”

Just wait until you see the looks on Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen’s face in the video. Try not to laugh.

Proehl should definitely make this a weekly series.

Personally, I’d love to see coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah with an angry face.

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