NFL teams are going to regret passing on LSU WR Justin Jefferson
By Zach Ragan
Former LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson is ready make some noise in the NFL.
In recent mock drafts/rankings, LSU’s Justin Jefferson has generally been projected as the fifth or sixth wide receiver that will be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Most mock drafts have Jefferson going early in the second round.
This would be a massive mistake by any team in the first round looking for a wide receiver.
And Jefferson is determined to make teams pay for that mistake.
Jefferson told reporters at the combine on Tuesday “I’m going to shock the world”.
It seems silly to me that Jefferson is even in this position. I feel like he should be one of the first wide receivers off the board.
The Louisiana native, who is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, showed off his incredible abilities as a wide receiver in 2019 by catching 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns.
There’s no question that Jefferson has great hands, is a great route runner and isn’t scared to make contested catches.
So why isn’t he higher on draft boards?
It’s simple.
Teams don’t think he’s fast enough, even though he’s expected to have a 40 time in the 4.50-4.60 range.
A tenth of a second is going to cost Jefferson 15-30 spots in the draft.
That doesn’t makes sense at all. NFL talent evaluators seem to be relying too much on the stop watch and not enough on the game tape.
Jefferson’s film speaks for itself. He might not be a burner, but he produces. And he’s fast enough to stretch the field.
40 times are important, but they’re not nearly important as the combine would leave you to believe.
In fact, here are five all-time great NFL wide receivers who had “slow” 40 times.
- Chad Ochocinco — 4.57 seconds
- Larry Fitzgerald — 4.63 seconds
- Cris Carter — 4.63 seconds
- Anquan Boldin — 4.71 seconds
- Jerry Rice — 4.71 seconds
Jefferson’s 40 time, outside of it being in the 4.70-4.80 range, just isn’t relevant.
Perhaps falling in the first round will be a good thing for Jefferson. The New Orleans Saints have the No. 24 overall selection.
Next. Colin Cowherd has the worst take of the century. dark
Playing in New Orleans, after starring at LSU, would be a storybook draft scenario for Jefferson.