Tag: Justin Jefferson

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson said he received tips from Cris Carter at NFL Combine

Vikings Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter gave newly drafted LSU wideout Justin Jefferson tips all the way back at the NFL Combine, Jefferson said.

Justin Jefferson wasn’t a Vikings wide receiver until Thursday, but at the NFL Combine, he still received some tutelage from a former Vikings wideout.

Cris Carter, a former Vikings wideout who was inducted into the Hall of Fame, kept tabs on Jefferson throughout the draft process, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

“He was giving me tips (at the combine) on how to be a better receiver, how to be a long-term better receiver,” Jefferson told the Pioneer Press and other outlets.“Having him in my ear, just giving me his knowledge and the information that he has definitely means a lot. He’s a hall of fame receiver. … He said I was the best receiver in the draft, so we definitely have a connection.”

Jefferson said he heard about Carter calling him the best receiver in the draft on television, and that it made him feel good about himself, giving him more confidence.

“He was one of my mentors, with one of our groups, so (it helped) having him around every step of the way during the combine,” Jefferson told the Pioneer Press and other reporters.

The best scheme fits — and weirdest misfits — in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft

Some draft picks are perfect scheme fits for their NFL teams, and others… not so much. Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield separate the two.

One of the catchphrases that you hear throughout the draft cycle is “scheme fit.” The more hours that people spend studying the draft and revisiting how players succeed — or fail — upon entering the NFL the more people realize that all the pre-draft evaluations and scouting reports matter much less than where the players actually land. The systems they are going to be in, the coaches they are going to be learning from, and the other players around them are going to be much more important in determining whether they boom, or bust.

To that end, here are some of the best scheme fits from Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft, along with two potential misfits that raise serious questions.

Scheme Fits

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

It was often said of longtime baseball manager Gene Mauch that he was better at taking impossibly flawed teams to the middle of the pack with his managerial genius than he was at taking good teams and making them truly great. Some guys are just that way, and current Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey might be the NFL’s version of Mauch. In five years as a head coach for the Cowboys and Bills, Gailey compiled a 34-46 record, and lost the two playoff games his teams made.

But if you want a guy who can take a broken offense and turn it around with pure schematic invention, there are few better. Perhaps the most obvious example of this was when he was the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator in 2008. Kansas City lost starting quarterbacks Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle to injury, leaving third-stringer Tyler Thigpen as the man under center. The Chiefs were without franchise back Larry Johnson at times due to injuries and suspensions, so Gailey didn’t have much to work with.

Undaunted, Gailey took a then little-known schematic constraint called the Pistol formation — which is now the primary shotgun set in the NFL — and worked his offense from desperate to above-average.

“When Damon and Brodie went down, I think L.J. was still on a suspension, and we were able to do the regular shotgun with Kolby Smith from Louisville and Jamaal Charles from Texas,” Thigpen told me in 2010. “But once that suspension was up, and Larry was back in the lineup, that’s when we went more to the Pistol offense. Kolby and Jamaal were used to that zone type of running, where you press the side and make a cutback, or whatever the case may be — whatever lane they’ve got. We tried running that offense for one or two weeks when Larry came back, and then we realized, ‘Hey, he’s not that kind of back.’ That’s when we changed to the downhill kind of running. The Pistol is really like an I-formation, whether you put the back in the near set or the far set.”

The Pistol also presented advantages for Thigpen.

“Whether it was a quarterback draw, a misdirection with a one-back offset, having the back go to the left and bringing him back to the right, it would look to the defense like a zone left run instead of a cutback to the right,” he said. “The play action was really good, because you couldn’t see the back, and whether he had the ball or not, with the offensive line up front. I remember a couple times, just running boots and faking to [the back], and it was just wide open when I came out on the boot. It was tough for the defensive end, when he’s coming off the edge, to see whether you gave it or not. Normally, he has that advantage when you’re coming out from under center to see whether you’re close to the back or not — what kind of fake it is.”

You get the point. Now, imagine what Gailey will do with Tagovailoa, who comes to the NFL with a game that’s equal parts Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. There are few better coaches for Tagovailoa to work with in his transition to the NFL — and there are few coaches who will be more astute in combining what he needs with what Tagovailoa can already do. Boots, advanced play-action, zone-read stuff… you name it. Tagovailoa will flourish under Gailey, and it will be exciting to watch.

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Salary cap projections for Vikings draftees: LSU WR Justin Jefferson and TCU CB Jeff Gladney

The cash-strapped Vikings drafted some key players on Thursday. Here’s what their projected deals and 2020 cap hits are.

Minnesota secured two important positional needs in the first round of the draft Thursday.

After the Vikings took LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the team traded back from the No. 25 pick, and ended up selecting TCU corner Jeff Gladney at No. 31.

Drafting talent that can come in right away and start is essential for Minnesota this year, due to offseason departures at cornerback, defensive tackle, wide receiver and other posiitons.

Another important factor in drafting key contributors: It doesn’t break the bank.

The Vikings only have just over 12 million in cap space at the moment, according to Over The Cap. The team wasn’t in a position this offseason to be big buyers in the free agency market, so it makes sense that the focus for this team would be on the draft.

According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Jefferson will receive an estimated four-year, $13.12 million deal. That contract also includes a $7.1 million signing bonus. His cap hit for 2020 is an estimated $2.38 million.

Tomasson also reported that Gladney will earn an estimated four-year, $10.99 million deal. That contract has a $5.55 million signing bonus. His cap hit is estimated at $1.99 million for 2020.

NFL Draft: Day 1 recap for the Eagles with Round 2, Round 3 pick order

2020 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap with Round 2, Round 3 pick order

Howie Roseman got his guy on Thursday night but it came with some controversy after the Eagles GM first refused to trade up for CeeDee Lamb and then he passed on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor.

The Eagles entered the NFL Draft hoping for a run on tackles and quarterbacks and that’s what initially happened, but not even Jerry Jones could have imagined CeeDee Lamb sitting there at No. 17 overall.

Roseman not only refused to move up for Lamb, but he ensured that the Eagles will deal with him twice a year for the next decade.

When No. 21 came out, Roseman pulled the trigger on Jalen Reagor of TCU, bypassing Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk, and others.

***

Here’s a brief recap of round-1:

2020 Draft Round 1 Recap

Pick
1 Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow QB LSU
2 Washington Redskins Chase Young DE Ohio St.
3 Detroit Lions Jeff Okudah CB Ohio St.
4 New York Giants Andrew Thomas OT Georgia
5 Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama
6 Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert QB Oregon
7 Carolina Panthers Derrick Brown DT Auburn
8 Arizona Cardinals Isiah Simmons LB Clemson
9 Jacksonville Jaguars CJ Henderson CB Florida
10 Cleveland Browns Jedrick Wills OT Alabama
11 New York Jets Mekhi Becton OT Louisville
12 Las Vegas Raiders Henry Ruggs III WR Alabama
13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tristan Wirfs OT Iowa
14 San Francisco 49ers Javon Kinlaw DT South Carolina
15 Denver Broncos Jerry Jeudy WR Alabama
16 Atlanta Falcons AJ Terrell CB Clemson
17 Dallas Cowboys Cee Dee Lamb WR Oklahoma
18 Miami Dolphins Austin Jackson OT USC From Pitt
19 Las Vegas Raiders Damon Arnette CB Ohio St. From Chicago
20 Jacksonville Jaguars K’Lavon Chaisson Edge LSU From LA
21 Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Reagor WR Texas Christian
22 Minnesota Vikings Justin Jefferson WR LSU From Buf
23 Los Angeles Chargers Kenneth Murray LB Oklahoma
24 New Orleans Saints Cesar Ruiz C Michigan
25 San Francisco 49ers Brandon Aiyuk WR Arizona State
26 Green Bay Packers Jordan Love QB Utah State
27 Seattle Seahawks Jordan Brooks LB Texas Tech
28 Baltimore Ravens Patrick Queen LB LSU
29 Tennessee Titans Isaiah Wilson OT Georgia
30 Miami Dolphins Noah Igbinoghene CB Auburn
31 Minnesota Vikings Jeff Gladney CB TCU
32 Kansas City Chiefs Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB LSU

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2020 NFL Draft: Best, worst picks of the 1st round

The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft was loaded with top prospects, big bargains and questionable reaches

The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is now in the books, and after 32 selections and countless hours of trying to figure out where players might land, it’s time to break down who win the day.

Here are our picks for the best and worst draft choices from Thursday night’s first-round action:

BEST PICKS

Cincinnati Bengals | LSU QB Joe Burrow, No. 1 overall

This was an easy decision. Burrow was the best quarterback available, and well, the Bengals needed a quarterback. In no way, shape or form should the team have gone in any other direction and they didn’t. They resisted the urge to listen to trade offers for this pick, and they’ll reap the benefits. Burrow brings a lot of excitement to a fan base in dire need of some.

Washington Redskins | Ohio State EDGE Chase Young, No. 2 overall

This is once again a no-brainer, but given the history of Washington, would they stick to it? Young was by far the best player in this draft. Had it not been for a quarterback-needy team selecting first, Young would have and should have been the top player overall. The strength of this Washington team just got stronger.

Denver Broncos | Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy, No. 15 overall

The Broncos have recently drafted a young tight end in Noah Fant, their quarterback in Drew Lock, and another wide receiver in Courtland Sutton. Now add in Jerry Jeudy to the mix, the most complete pass-catcher in this year’s loaded class. The Broncos have a young group of playmakers that should breathe excitement into the fan base. The way to compete with Kansas City is to load up on offense, and John Elway has done that over the last few years.

Dallas Cowboys | Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb, No. 17 overall

The Cowboys had one of the top offenses in all of the NFL a season ago. We’re not sure why or how, but a a top-10 overall prospect fell all out of the top 15 and into their waiting arms. Lamb was widely viewed as the top receiver in a deep class, him landing in Dallas has now made an already potent offense just that much more lethal.

Minnesota Vikings | LSU WR Justin Jefferson, No. 22 overall & TCU CB Jeff Gladney, No. 31 overall

Minnesota had needs at wide receiver and cornerback. They were able to address both in the first round, and that will allow them to lock both players up for the next five years. Jefferson comes in to replace Stefon Diggs, and Gladney to replace Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes. They filled their top needs with two players that can help bring the Vikings back to the top of the division.

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2020 Draft: 4 players Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb will be linked to forever

Dallas got the steal of the first round by picking CeeDee Lamb at 17, but they had to leave several areas of need unfilled to do so.

How big a shock was it that CeeDee Lamb was still available with the 17th overall pick? The Dallas Cowboys never even did a pre-draft interview with the Alabama wideout. That’s how unlikely it was that he’d even be an option.

Nearly every mock draft on the planet had Lamb being selected within the first twelve picks, so it would have been understandable if owner Jerry Jones and coach Mike McCarthy unexpectedly found themselves in scramble mode once the Cowboys were on the clock. They had a need in the secondary, they had a need on the defensive line, and they had been flirting with several names in the super-deep wide receiver class.

But Lamb is regarded as a special athlete who was not supposed to be an option at 17. He can line up outside or in the slot, meaning the Dallas offense could find themselves in formations where Dak Prescott has the trio of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb all running downfield as targets.

While Lamb was certainly the best player available when the Cowboys turned in their pick, there was that moment when they consciously chose to pass up the chance to draft for need.

The euphoria from picking Lamb won’t wane until when games are played, at the earliest. They likely and hopefully will never come. However hindsight will always be 20/20 and these are the players Lamb will forever be linked to.

K’Lavon Chaisson

As the middle of the first round unfolded, Dallas’s decision seemed to come down to either Lamb or edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson out of LSU. The buzz for Chaisson had been building in the days leading up to the draft, with even the Cowboys’ franchise sack leader DeMarcus Ware raving about the “monster” prospect and going so far as saying he reminded Ware of himself.

Chaisson is a high-motor player who explodes off the ball and has a knack for corralling ball carriers with a long reach. Defense has been a deficiency in Dallas, and while new signees Aldon Smith, Dontari Poe, and Gerald McCoy are expected to help upgrade the Cowboys front four, Chaisson would have been a terrifying bookend to DeMarcus Lawrence.

Instead, Chaisson fell to Jacksonville with the 20th overall pick. He and new Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson- taken with the 9th pick- will be part of a massive rebuild for the Jaguars defense.

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Eagles GM Howie Roseman on the need to add speed; Jalen Reagor’s fit with Carson Wentz

Howie Roseman says he drafted Jalen Reagor to add speed to the Philadelphia Eagles offense.

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The Philadelphia Eagles focused on adding speed and on Thursday night the Birds bypassed bigger named players to land a speedy wide receiver in the first round.

Howie Roseman had reportedly coveted Jalen Reagor and on Thursday at pick No. 21, Roseman finally got Carson Wentz a guy to take the top off the defense.

Roseman passed on trading up for a falling CeeDee Lamb, then passed on LSU star Justin Jefferson to snag Reagor at No. 21.

While addressing the media after making his picks, Roseman stuck to the script, harping on Reagor’s speed and the need to get Carson Wentz a true deep threat.

“Our QB likes to throw the ball down the field and make vertical throws.”

“Jalen tested super explosive. You see the explosiveness on tape and you had it in the testing”

Roseman then added more.

Reagor excels while making contested catches and will provide the Eagles with explosiveness that’s been missing on the roster.

Vikings’ Cris Carter, Adam Thielen and Tommy Kramer approve of Vikings first pick 

Former Vikings Cris Carter and Tommy Kramer, and current Minnesota player Adam Thielen, are all on board with the Justin Jefferson pick.

After Minnesota traded away Stefon Diggs to the Bills this offseason, the Vikings were left with a big hole at the wide receiver position.

With the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Vikings looked to fill that hole by drafting LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson. 

Jefferson is coming off a season where he won a National Championship. He helped the No. 1 overall pick, Joe Burrow, find success with the Tigers. The Vikings took a great route runner with stellar hands, who should help replace a lot of the production Diggs left behind.

Both current and former Vikings players took to Twitter, addressing the addition of Jefferson and it seems as if they like the pick. 

Former wide receiver Chris Carter and current wideout Adam Thielen both seem to have similar opinions with what the Vikings did with their 22nd pick. The pick fills a huge need for the Vikings and gives Kirk Cousins another option in the passing game. Former Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer also liked the choice of Jefferson.

Jalen Reagor provides an instant upgrade at WR for the Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles held on to the 21st pick in the draft and selected an electric playmaker from TCU; an instant upgrade

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If we told you that Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, and CeeDee Lamb would be off the board before the Eagles selected at pick 21 you would not have been shocked.

That scenario ended up being the reality as Lamb, arguably the best receiver in the draft, found himself in a free-fall until the Cowboys drafted him at 17th overall. Jerry Jones, effectively
mocked the Eagles, scooping up the explosive wideout – while leaving Eagles fans with their collective jaws on the floor.

Jim Schwartz and company will have to deal with Lamb twice a season for years to come, but that’s a topic for another day.

On the topic of Reagor, we’re asking you, our readers and fellow Eagles fans is to put this thought out of your mind. Does it hurt that a top-three wide receiver was theoretically in reach but Howie Roseman chose not to make a deal? Yes.

Reagor stands 5 feet, eleven inches tall, and ran a 4.47 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine, which shocked scouts and executives around the league; it hardly matches his tape. With all of the effects of COVID-19 players couldn’t have official pro days, but some players were able to have “virtual” pro days.

Reagor reportedly clocked a 4.28 at his.

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Use this information how you will – is Reagor closer to a 4.28 guy or a 4.47 guy? We think he’s somewhere in between.

Reagor’s connection to the franchise runs deep, his father Montae, played defensive tackle for the Eagles in 2007 and was a coaching intern for the team in 2011. New wide receiver’s coach Aaron Moorehead played with Montae with the Colts which gave him an inside track

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The downfall to Reagor’s collegiate game was erratic quarterback play, a limited route tree, and occasional drops. Some call him the second-coming of Nelson Agholor, make the jokes as you wish.

All kidding aside would you take these numbers, on average, from Reagor: 62 catches for 768 yard and 8 touchdowns, while providing a spark in the punt and kick return game? The answer is yes if the stats for Agholor’s 2017 season were the baseline for Jalen Reagor’s game I’d be pleased. No one was clamoring for a receiver during the Eagles’ Super Bowl season and Reagor can – and should – easily fill Agholor’s shoes.

As it stands now Reagor will serve a prominent role in the Eagles offense with DeSean Jackson recovering from a core muscle surgery, Alshon Jeffery starting the season on the bench recovering from a Lisfranc injury paired with and unproven JJ Arcega-Whiteside and up-and-coming Greg Ward, the opportunity will be there for him.

Reagor needs to make the most of it.

He has the tools to be a difference-maker both in the slot and on the outside in addition to special teams as a return man; his ceiling is as high as they come and I can’t fault Howie for swinging for the fences with the 21st pick.

I really like this pick for the Birds and I can’t wait to see how Doug Pederson implements him into the offense.

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Vikings draft grade: LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson

Vikings Wire gave a high grade to the Justin Jefferson choice at No. 22.

Minnesota added a speedy and elite collegiate wide receiver in Justin Jefferson, which also fills out a positional need for the Vikings.

Jefferson tallied 111 receptions for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns with Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow throwing him the ball. Not only that, but LSU’s offensive line was one of the best, if not the best, in the NCAA.

Jefferson might not experience the same dominance in the NFL as he did at LSU, but he can still be a very solid wide receiver two alongside Adam Thielen.

He’ll arrive on a team with quarterback Kirk Cousins and an offensive line that improved last season, but still has a ways to go. Cousins was put into a system that emphasizes play-action passing and rollouts. The team also rushed the ball early and often.

I think it was a no-brainer for the Vikings to at least take a wide receiver relatively early in the NFL Draft. There was a question as to whether the team should pick one in the first round, considering this is a deep wide receiver class.

However, Jefferson is explosive, and the Vikings have thrived at times with two starting-caliber wide receivers in a Cousins-led offense. Overall, a very good pick.

Grade: A-