Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,552
- 0
Cynthia Frelund, an analytics expert for NFL.com, believes Jefferson will shine early. She included the former LSU standout in her projected list of the 10 most productive rookie receivers in 2020.
Frelund noted that the rookie wide receiver class is "one of the most hyped groups of pass-catchers in recent history."
And she feels Jefferson, a player with "a safer floor and a lot of upside," will be a contributor early on in Minnesota.
Frelund wrote:
At LSU, Jefferson's slot production was a huge driver of his success — along with the team's. In 2019, his numbers in the slot ranked among the best in FBS on PFF's tracking charts going back to 2014: He had 109 receptions (second-most in a single season in that span), 18 touchdowns (the most) and 1,518 yards (second-most). One of the things slot receptions help illustrate well is what a receiver can do when they don't have the benefit of space.
Jefferson caught 12 of 13 contested targets last season, or 92.3 percent, the highest rate among WRs in FBS, per PFF. But don't be mistaken — Jefferson's computer vision route-running tracking shows he's more than just a slot guy. (I have writtena lot about Jefferson, if you want to see more.) Once we get a better sense of how the Vikings' offense shifts without the traded-away Stefon Diggs, Jefferson's projection could go up ... a lot.
As Frelund noted, Jefferson spent nearly all of the 2019 season in the slot with the Tigers. He tallied 111 total catches, which set the school's single-season record.