Analyst calls Justin Jefferson a top 5 WR in the NFL

Former LSU Football wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, was snubbed this weekend.

Jefferson lost the offensive rookie of the year award to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

I don’t agree with the decision, but I get it — it’s a quarterback’s world and we’re all living in it.

But just because Jefferson was robbed on Saturday, doesn’t mean he’s not getting respect in the NFL.

In fact, one respected NFL analyst had some extremely high praise recently for the former Tigers standout.

Justin Jefferson is a top-five receiver in the NFL?

Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout who now covers the league for the NFL Network, recently spoke to Vikings.com about Jefferson’s future.

And he didn’t hold back when praising the young wide receiver.

“This is one of the most polished receivers [drafted] in the last several years and just an absolute gift to the Minnesota Vikings that he was there when the pick was up,” said Jeremiah (via Vikings.com). “Man, you talk about hitting the ground running, he’s already established himself as a top-five-type receiver in the NFL as a rookie. It’s pretty nuts.”

Yes, that’s correct. One of the most well-known NFL analysts believes that Jefferson, with just 16 games under his belt, is a top-five wide receiver.

It’s hard to disagree.

Jefferson caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. Incredible numbers for a wide receiver of any experience level.

The 1,400 yards were fourth-best in the NFL in 2020. His high-yardage total was thanks to his ability to stretch the field (Jefferson tied for the NFL lead with 23 receptions over 20 yards).

Jefferson’s big-play ability likely came as a surprise to a few teams who felt like Jefferson wasn’t fast enough or wasn’t used vertically enough at LSU.

Unsurprinsingly, Jefferson proved the doubters wrong. And the Vikings are a much better offensive team because of him.