If you want to convince someone to think that Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top candidates for rookie of the year, there are a couple ways to build your case.
First, he thrived with LSU in its championship-winning season, garnering him a reputation as a top draft pick.
Second, there are not a lot of wideouts who enter a better situation. The Vikings have an offense that has been dependent on high-volume production from two wide receivers.
Now, one of those wide receivers is gone. Minnesota traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills this offseason, so Jefferson has a chance to take a significant number of Diggs’ reps.
All that adds up to Jefferson being a prime pick for offensive rookie of the year heading into 2020. According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Jefferson is the seventh-best candidate to win the award. Here’s what he said about the Vikings wideout:
“Jefferson was good in 2018, but he was great in 2019, showing off improved route running and impeccable ball skills. He steps into a pretty good situation, taking over for the departed Stefon Diggs in a role that should feature accurate, catchable throws coming his way from Kirk Cousins. Adam Thielen should return healthy after a hamstring injury slowed him last season, and Dalvin Cook — assuming he does not end up holding out — appears to be the focal point of the offense, but there should still be plenty of action coming Jefferson’s way as the WR2 in Gary Kubiak’s scheme.”
Assuming Jefferson is the wide receiver two, and assuming Cousins can find him in open areas, the LSU product has the potential to start his NFL career in a big way.