Few players at Rams training camp have made the sudden impact that rookie receiver Van Jefferson has. By all accounts, he’s looked nothing like a fist-year player who missed out on OTAs and minicamp.
He’s received rave reviews from media members in attendance for practice and the first scrimmage, and every player or coach who has been asked about Jefferson has raved about his quick acclimation to the NFL.
The Rams’ depth at wide receiver is excellent – in part because of Jefferson’s arrival – but it’s also going to make it difficult for the rookie to carve out a big role in Year 1. One thing that could help him get on the field early is his versatility.
Like Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, Jefferson can play every wide receiver position, which is extremely important in the eyes of Sean McVay. The coach was asked about the possibility of Jefferson starting this year, and his response was largely about the rookie’s versatility.
“Yeah, I think you’re just looking at how comfortable he gets at moving around in the offense. You know, we’ve got guys we’ve got X and Z and F positions, but really, we want to be able to have guys that are versatile that can play all over the formation. And I think that’s one of the things we liked so much about Van is he can certainly win isolations outside, he can work inside on option routes where he understands how to work leverages and recognize coverage contours,” McVay said. “So, he’s a really good football player. He’s continuing to do a great job of just learning every single day from Coach ‘Yarbs’ (wide receivers coach Eric Yarber), (assistant wide receivers coach) Zac Robinson. And you can see, kind of like what we’ve talked about ever since we drafted him, he’s got a knack for the game. Football just makes sense to him. He’s got that pedigree, you know, when you look at the history of the success that his dad had as a player and now he’s coaching. And when you’re around Van, that’s what it feels like. You know, it feels like he came from that football pedigree and he sure is talented.”
Josh Reynolds is the biggest hurdle standing in Jefferson’s way of a starting spot on offense. Both players will contribute throughout the season, but how each one performs will determine how much they play.
Jefferson has made plays consistently throughout camp and if he keeps that up, it’ll be hard to keep him off the field.