Justin Jefferson is the runaway choice to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
As we inch closer to the end of the 2020 NFL season in just a few weeks, it’s time to look back on the rookie class and some players that have appeared to shine or not perform as hoped when they were drafted in the annual draft before the year began.
Part of that evaluation comes with the yearly Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, given to players in their first NFL seasons for the types of performances they put together during their rookie campaigns.
When it comes to Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, he appears to be one of the gems of the 2020 NFL Draft class, not only becoming one of the top rookie players in the 2020 class but sitting in the heart of conversations as one of the top-performing wideouts going into Week 14.
Although there are many players who have shined during their rookie seasons to this point in the 2020 season, Jefferson should be considered a frontrunner to claim the Offensive Rookie of the Year award at the conclusion of the year.
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The No. 22 pick out of LSU has stepped up to help lead the Vikings receiving group this season alongside star wideout Adam Thielen on the outside of the field. Jefferson immediately inserted himself into the starting lineup while replacing Stefon Diggs who was traded away to the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
“I do feel like I am this year’s Rookie of the Year… just me being a rookie but playing like a veteran I definitely feel like I have a good chance at winning it.”@Vikings rookie stud receiver @JJettas2 believes that his performance this year makes him the Rookie of the Year. pic.twitter.com/XZYzKJzisX
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 6, 2020
No rookie has come close to matching Justin Jefferson in the 2020 season.
En route to likely breaking multiple rookie records by the end of the year, Jefferson passed his first major milestone during the Week 13 overtime win at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday in Minnesota.
In the game, Jefferson surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark to sit at a total of 1,039 yards, becoming just the fifth rookie to reach the milestone in his first 12 career games in the Super Bowl era.
With that impressive milestone, Jefferson trails only Odell Beckham Jr. (1,305 yards in 2014) on the list of most receiving yards by a rookie wide receiver in his first 12 games. Jefferson sits ahead of impressive names such as Anquan Boldin (1,032 yards in 2003) and former Vikings great Randy Moss (1,014 in 1998) on that list. All three of those players ended up winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, for what it’s worth.
Going into Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jefferson has appeared in all 12 games for Minnesota, starting in 10 of those contests. He has been targeted 84 times, hauling in 61 catches and seven touchdowns. Along with that, the rookie out of LSU has averaged 17 yards per reception, is averaging 86.6 yards per game and has recorded a catch percentage of 72.6 percent.
Those totals are impressive enough, but the fact that Jefferson compiled just five catches for 70 yards and no touchdowns through the first two games of the regular season means he has nearly recorded 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns over a span of just 10 games.
With that performance, Jefferson has inserted himself right into the heart of the conversation for the Offensive Rookie of the Year, with some notable names around the league and specifically at Jefferson’s position starting to take notice.
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Jefferson continues to make a name for himself in a big role within Minnesota’s offense, something that will continue for years to come.
But by the end of 2020, with how the rookie wideout has played through 13 weeks in the NFL season, he has earned the right to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year.