Stefon Diggs Has a Higher Rating than Justin Jefferson in Madden 23
Ever since entering the NFL in 2020, Justin Jefferson has turned heads and exceeded expectations with his play. Over the course of his first two years, Jefferson has recorded 196 receptions, 3016 receiving yards, and 17 TDs. Even still, Madden has rated him as the sixth-best receiver in their initial release, making him a 93 overall.
Of course, every player on this list is exceptional. Davante Adams has more touchdowns than anyone else over the past two years, Cooper Kupp won the receiving triple crown in 2021, and Tyreek Hill is one of the most dynamic players this league has ever seen.
That said, the one area that doesn’t make sense is Stefon Diggs being placed above Justin Jefferson. Don’t get me wrong, Diggs is an uber-talented receiver as all Vikings fans know. Since 2020, he’s recorded 230 receptions, 2760 yards, and 18 touchdowns. It’s one of the best slash-lines in the league during that time. However, if we take a look at Diggs and Jefferson side by side in 2021, it certainly leans in Jefferson’s favor.
Here’s Diggs’ numbers from a season ago:
164 targets, 103 receptions, 1225 yards, 10 TDs
And here are Jefferson’s:
167 targets, 108 receptions, 1616 yards, 10 TDs
On just three more targets, Jefferson put up nearly 400 more yards of production. In addition to Jefferson’s numbers being better, he is better at multiple levels of the field. During his rookie season, Jefferson was largely viewed as an open-field receiver and big playmaker, but down near the red zone, his impact went away.
That was not the case in 2021. Jefferson had the sixth best PFF grade among receivers in the red zone last year with a 77.6. Meanwhile, Diggs was given a grade of 70.4, tied for 13th in the league.
Jefferson carries the ultimate motivation into the 2022 season as he hopes to become universally recognized as the best wide receiver in the NFL. Part of the reason he gets overlooked by some is the fact that Minnesota has never made the playoffs in his young career, going a combined 15-18 over the past two years.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have been in the playoffs in each of Diggs’ first two seasons in Buffalo. A successful Vikings playoff run in 2022 would almost immediately put Jefferson among the top five receivers in the league. We’ll see if they can get it done this year.