LSU Football: Justin Jefferson receives high praise from teammate

Former LSU football wide receiver Justin Jefferson didn’t take long to make his mark in the NFL.

Jefferson, who was selected with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, quickly proved he’s going to be a superstar for years to come.

The Louisiana native burst onto the scene in 2020, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards.

That’s a better rookie season than legends like Randy Moss and Anquan Boldin (who both had extremely impressive rookie seasons). Jefferson’s rookie season was also better (as far as total yardage) than fellow former LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, who caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards as a rookie for the New York Giants in 2014.

Dalvin Cook is a strong believer in Justin Jefferson

After Jefferson’s tremendous rookie season, I think it’s fair to place him among the top wide receivers in football. Obviously, he’ll have to prove in 2021 that he can continue to produce at a high level, but he clearly has the tools to succeed long-term in the NFL.

And Jefferson’s teammate, running back Dalvin Cook, agrees.

“I think JJ, his ceiling is so high, if he keeps being who he is and keeps working hard, I think he can be one of the best in the game,” said Cook this week during an appearance on The Herd (via Pro Football Talk).

Jefferson was robbed of the offensive rookie of the year award (it went to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert), but that’s ultimately meaningless. I think he has the best long-term upside of any player that was drafted in 2020 (including his former teammate Joe Burrow, who is already dealing with a torn ACL).

Jefferson has an extremely bright future in the NFL. The sky is truly the limit for the former LSU star.

I have a feeling a lot of teams are going to regret passing on Jefferson in the draft.