Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson on pace to break rookie records?

Vikings rookie Justin Jefferson has emerged as one of the top players in the 2020 NFL Draft class.

Coming into the 2020 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings were on a search for a player to fill a hole left behind by wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the offseason.

With the departure of Diggs this offseason, there was a big void alongside Adam Thielen atop Minnesota depth chart and that resulted in the organization turning to the next man up to step into that role.

In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Vikings used their first selection in the first round of the annual draft to select LSU product Justin Jefferson with pick No. 22 in hopes that he could step right into the receiving game and help Thielen lead the unit on the outside of the field in Minnesota. With his rookie campaign now over halfway over with, Jefferson has done just that and then some, proving he is the real deal and perhaps one of the steals of the draft.

Going into Week 13, Jefferson has been one of the top wide receivers among rookie players as well as receivers league-wide. In fact, he could be on pace to put together one of the best seasons by a rookie wide receiver in NFL history.

Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz, via ESPN Insider (subscription required), compared Jefferson’s rookie season to that of other players in league history since 1985.

Justin Jefferson could be on his way to a record-breaking rookie season with the Vikings.

On that top 10 list, Schatz included Jefferson atop the list, with him on pace to finish the 2020 campaign with 76 catches, 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns. No. 2 on that list is New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (92 catches, 1,137 yards, nine touchdowns in 2016) while No. 3 is former Vikings star receiver Randy Moss (69 catches, 1,313 yards, 17 touchdowns in 1998).

Through just 11 games this season, Jefferson hasn’t just been one of the best rookie players to take the field this year,but he has been one of the best receivers in the entire league thus far.

So far this year, Jefferson has appeared in all 11 games for Minnesota, starting in nine of those contests. He has been targeted 72 times, hauling in 52 catches for 918 yards and six touchdowns. Along with that, the rookie out of LSU has averaged 17.7 yards per reception, is averaging 83.5 yards per game and has recorded a catch percentage of 72.2 percent.

Among other wide receivers in the NFL, Jefferson is currently sitting in the top 10 in the league in receiving yards and yards per reception. He has also managed to accomplish four different 100-plus yard games so far.

Jefferson has been what the Vikings would have hoped he would be and then some while searching for a difference-making playmaker to pair alongside Thielen in the passing game. He’s getting endless opportunities to showcase what he can do, and has been taking that in stride to say the least.

Jefferson is on pace to put together one of the more impressive rookie campaigns in NFL history. And the No. 22 overall pick shouldn’t just be mentioned as one of the top rookie wideouts at this point in the season, but he should be considered one of the best wide receivers in the NFL at the young age of just 21.