NFLSU: Justin Jefferson is the NFL’s top offensive player but, what if…?

Justin Jefferson became the 5th receiver to win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. Conversely, the Philadelphia Eagles will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl. But, what if…?

LSU Tigers alum Justin Jefferson is establishing himself as the best receiver in the NFL. From the statistics to the ‘holy [bleep]’ moments, the 3rd-year stud from LSU is dominating with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings selected Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Since such time, the Vikings have enjoyed passing yardage that ranks 12th (2020), 11th (2021), and 2nd (2022) in the league. However, one can’t help but think back to the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft and wonder, what if…?

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What if the Philadelphia Eagles selected Justin Jefferson at pick 21 of the 2020 NFL Draft?

The Eagles entered the 2020 draft extremely needy at receiver but opted for Jalen Reagor out of TCU. Reagor’s athleticism shined during the pre-draft process, but his poor route-running continues to hamper his career. If Philadelphia drafted Justin Jefferson in 2020, it is unlikely they would draft Devonta Smith in 2021. One can assume the Eagles use their 2021 top pick to address defense, at which point they select Micah Parsons. This altered reality creates a ton of additional questions.

• Would Carson Wentz have kept his job in Philadelphia?
• Does Jalen Hurts ever see the field?
• Would Howie Roseman still swing a blockbuster deal for AJ Brown?
• Does Philadelphia sign Hassan Reddick with Micah Parsons already in place?

Ultimately, we wonder if the Eagles are still playing in Super Bowl LVII if they drafted Justin Jefferson in 2020. A chain of subsequent events creates an argument that Philadelphia isn’t as good of a team in such scenario. However, there is also an argument the Eagles are better. Perhaps, they are chasing back-to-back championships with Jefferson and Parsons in midnight green. But what about Jefferson’s status as an elite receiver, if he were in Philadelphia?

Justin Jefferson’s drive and ability set him above his peers. But no elite receiver can post elite metrics without a quarterback that can sling the ball. Kirk Cousins is easy to criticize, but he throws one of the best deep balls in the NFL. His career-winning percentage leaves much to be desired, but Cousins has the superior arm talent to Wentz. One can also assume Jefferson is not seeing Vikings-like passing volume in an offense designed around Jalen Hurts’ mobility. As a result, it is difficult to imagine Jefferson is the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year as a member of the Eagles.

There is an infamous video clip of a giddy Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer during the 2020 draft. The former Vikings GM and head coach snickered as the commissioner announced the Reagor selection at pick 21. Ultimately, Minnesota could not send their draft card to the NFL fast enough as it read ‘Justin Jefferson, wide receiver, from LSU.’ The Eagles missed badly on Jefferson but are doing just fine.