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‘He’s the next one’: Justin Jefferson as seen through the eyes of legendary Vikings receivers

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·10 min read

As a college junior at LSU, Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson watched the first round of 2020 NFL Draft socially distanced, from his hometown of St. Rose, La.

It was the early days of the pandemic back on April 23, 2020, so NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was announcing names virtually from the comfort of his own basement.

It took the Vikings roughly 10 seconds to submit their selection when they were finally on the clock with the No. 22 overall pick. They were taking Justin Jefferson, no questions asked. The video clip of the front office celebrating when the team picking before the Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles, passed on the generational talent has since gone viral.

The rest is history as Jefferson has emphatically established himself as the NFL’s best receiver with 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns across 50 games to start his professional career.

He will look to add to those numbers in Sunday’s season opener when the Vikings play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium with kickoff set for noon.

As his star has continued to rise, Jefferson has already put himself in the same conversation with some of the uber-talented Vikings receivers who came before him. He knew he was going to be following in the footsteps of Randy Moss and Cris Carter as soon as he was drafted by the Vikings. He realized shortly thereafter that he was also carrying the torch for so many others.

“I had no idea this many great receivers came through Minnesota until I broke it down and saw all of the different names on the list,” Jefferson said. “It’s good to be following in their footsteps and being mentioned in the same sentence as them. It’s definitely an honor. It always will be.”

Asked if there’s pressure trying to carve out his own niche, Jefferson said he instead chooses to look at it as a privilege.

“You’ve just got to embrace it,” he said. “It’s about being confident in my talents and having that swagger whenever I step on the field.”

To get a thorough assessment of Jefferson — from those who would know best — the Pioneer Press has spent the past month tracking down as many legendary Vikings receivers as possible.

Here’s what they had to say:

Randy Moss

Receptions: 587

Yards: 9,316

Touchdowns: 92

Talking to the Pioneer Press a couple of years ago, Moss spoke very highly of Jefferson, proving to be prophetic in hindsight.

Asked about Jefferson in a conference call ahead of Super Bowl LV, Moss proudly proclaimed, “He’s the future of the Minnesota Vikings.” He followed that up by reflecting on his playing days with the Vikings, noting that watching somebody follow in his footsteps in the present day makes him proud.

Nowadays, Moss doesn’t do many 1-on-1 interviews, and he respectively declined through ESPN when requested last month. His most recent comments on Jefferson came via TMZ Sports last month when Moss essentially doubled down on what he told the Pioneer Press a couple of years ago.

“I think Justin Jefferson is the No. 1 wide receiver in the National Football League,” he said. “I think that Justin Jefferson is going to have another breakout season.”

Cris Carter

Receptions: 1,004

Yards: 12,383

Touchdowns: 110

On the sidelines at TCO Performance Center about a month ago, Carter was reminded of the playmaker he saw when he was a mentor at the 2020 NFL Combine. There was a particular play in practice during which Jefferson rose up above cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., snagged a pass at its highest point, and landed with both feet inbounds.

“He’s a playmaker,” Carter said. “Even if he’s covered up, he’s still going to make plays. That becomes very key when a guy is trying to become elite. You have to be a playmaker, and that’s what we’ve seen from him.”

As impressive as Jefferson has proven to be in games, Carter has been most impressed with his dedication to his craft in practices. What he does when everybody is watching on game day, Carter noted, is a byproduct of what he does when nobody is watching throughout the week.

“Most people don’t understand that greatness is boring,” Carter said. “It’s not flashy. It’s mundane. It’s repetitive.”

Sometimes it’s catching dozens of balls from the JUGS machine after a long practice. Sometimes it’s running the same route over and over and over to perfect the subtle nuances. Sometimes it’s staying late to study the playbook so that it’s second nature.

“It’s the continuation of what we’re seeing that impresses me,” Carter said. “He’s been building on all this stuff since he got to the league.”

As for where Jefferson can end up if he keeps on this trajectory, Carter emphasized that it’s important to enjoy the journey rather than skip ahead to the destination.

“Nobody knows the future,” Carter said. “I make sure I keep things in proper perspective. This is a long, long journey, and he’s a long, long ways away from where I think that he can end up. He’s going to have a lot of things happen for him to accomplish the things that he wants to.”

Adam Thielen

Receptions: 534

Yards: 6,682

Touchdowns: 55

There were no organized team activities with the pandemic in full swing, so a handful of Vikings receivers decided to meet up with quarterback Kirk Cousins at a local high school. That was Adam Thielen’s introduction to Jefferson and where he started to understand how good he could be.

“I remember seeing him run routes for the first time, and he made it look so easy,” Thielen said. “Then I remember seeing his catch radius, and he had body control that was better than I’d ever seen.”

As the Vikings’ receiver on the field with Jefferson the past few seasons, Thielen came to appreciate his versatility on offense. If the Vikings saw a mismatch on the outside, Jefferson won with his speed. If the Vikings saw a mismatch on the inside, Jefferson won with his quickness. All the while he had the ball skills to come down with contested catches wherever he lined up.

“I think his best quality is that he doesn’t have a best quality,” Thielen said. “He’s just able to do everything at an extremely high level.”

Even if the opposing team is doing everything in its power to stop him.

“It’s pretty mind-blowing, to be honest,” Thielen said. “When everybody knows that the ball is going to Justin, he’s still finding a way to make plays, and that’s what really separates him from other great receivers.”

Sammy White

Receptions: 393

Yards: 6,400

Touchdowns: 50

It was only a matter of time before Sammy White’s longstanding record fell, and he knew it was probably going to belong to Jefferson at some point. Jefferson had been flirting with the single-game receiving yardage mark since he was a rookie, after all, and he finally got it last season.

He posted 223 receiving yards during a Week 14 matchup with the Detroit Lions to break the record.

“You know getting into this game that records are made to be broken,” White said. “I knew sooner or later somebody was going to come get it. All I can say is, I’m glad a great receiver did it. I watch him and it makes me so happy that it almost feels like I’m still playing.”

What stand out most about Jefferson?

“I remember I had a coach in college get me to think, ‘That’s my ball whenever it’s in air,’ ” White said. “You throw the ball in the air around Justin Jefferson and he finds a way to come up with it. It’s always his ball whenever it’s in the air. That’s special.”

Ahmad Rashad

Receptions: 400

Yards: 5,489

Touchdowns: 44

The first time Ahmad Rashad met Jefferson, he immediately noticed his infectious personality. There’s a sense of joy Jefferson exudes on a daily basis that simply can’t be faked. He genuinely seems to be having a good time whenever he’s around his teammates.

“I admired the way he carried himself,” Rashad said. “It was nice to watch somebody that great have so much fun doing it.”

The fact that Jefferson is so likable is especially noticeable on game days when his alter ego comes out.

“He can turn it on,” Rashad said. “He’s nice to everybody, like, ‘How’s it going?’ Then the game starts. Nobody wants to guard him because it’s totally different when he gets out there.”

As much as his infectious personality sets him apart, Rashad said Jefferson’s true superpower is his consistency week in and week out.

“Anybody can be great every now and then,” Rashad said. “He’s great every time he steps on the field.”

John Gilliam

Receptions: 165

Yards: 3,297

Touchdowns: 27

Never mind that he played in a couple of Super Bowls with the Vikings. To this day, John Gilliam maintains that the New Orleans Saints have his heart. That’s why when he watched Jefferson star at LSU in college, Gilliam called up Saints owner Mickey Loomis.

His message?

“I told him the Saints had to find a way to take him,” Gilliam said. “They couldn’t, and the Vikings ended up getting him.”

Not a bad consolation for Gilliam, who still has a solid connection with the Vikings, as well.

The biggest thing that stands out for Gilliam when he looks at Jefferson is his swagger.

“You have to love the game, and he does,” he said. “He’s not cocky with it. He just has a lot of confidence. You have to have that to be a great receiver in the league. ”

As far as Gilliam is concerned, Canton, Ohio, can go ahead and get the gold jacket ready for Jefferson.

“He can’t miss,” Gilliam said. “He’s going to be a hall of famer. There’s no doubt about it. He’s going to walk in.”

Jerry Reichow

Receptions: 144

Yards: 2,183

Touchdowns: 19

Though he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1961 — the inaugural season for the Vikings — Jerry Reichow is probably best known for his keen eye for talent. He served in various roles within the front office, scouting players who would go on to have illustrious careers with the Vikings.

“You know who No. 1 is?” Reichow said. “Randy Moss. He’s the most talented receiver I’ve ever seen. You couldn’t cover him 1-on-1 with anybody.”

Now retired and residing in Santa Fe, N.M., with his wife, Reichow didn’t have a hand in drafting Jefferson.

“All I know about Justin is what I see on television,” Reichow said. “I watch him play games and it’s like, ‘Wow. He’s pretty good.’ ”

As somebody who was around Moss in his prime, Reichow lauded Jefferson for his skill set.

“You look at Justin and he breaks down better than Randy did,” Reichow said. “They can be worried about him going deep and he can break it off like it’s nothing.”

Now that he gets to watch as a fan of the Vikings more than anything else, Reichow said it brings him a lot of pride seeing Jefferson carry on the legacy at the position.

“We’ve had some really good receivers over the years,” Reichow said. “It’s a lot more than Randy and Cris on that list. It’s good to see what Justin is doing now. He’s the next one.”

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