The wide receiver position is one of the deepest in the National Football League. With the advent of 7-on-7 drills, the wide receiver position keeps churning out talented player after talented player.
Looking at the last few NFL Draft classes, there have been some immensely talented players at the position. The Minnesota Vikings have scored two of those players in recent drafts with Justin Jefferson in 2020 and Jordan Addison in 2023.
It’s not just that the Vikings scored two really good wide receivers in the 20s, they scored the best wide receiver in Jefferson. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler conducted a poll among NFL executives, scouts and coaches and Jefferson was voted the best wide receiver in the league for the second-consecutive year.
Jefferson is the wideout king for the second consecutive year despite a “down” year, by his standards, courtesy of a hamstring injury that cost him seven games.
But even Jefferson’s 10-game output — 68 catches for 1,074 yards and five scores — is better than most over 17 games.
“He’s the best route runner in all of football in my opinion,” an NFL wide receivers coach said.
Jefferson’s historic pace through four seasons places him on an early Hall of Fame track. Since his 2020 debut, Jefferson leads all receivers in yards per game (98.4) and most 100-yard games (29).
Nearly 37% of his catches went for 20-plus yards in 2023, one of the top clips in the NFL.
“Play speed. Constant production. Instincts. Elite hands. Do-it-all route runner,” a high-ranking personnel man with an NFL team said.
When you look at what those in the league have to say it’s really impressive. Jefferson was also the only receiver on the list to not be voted outside of the top three.
Jefferson’s bonkers output wasn’t phased by the quarterbacks he played with, showing that he is more than capable of carrying a team on his own. Ranking behind him is Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb and Davante Adams.
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