The 1 Incredible Draft Pick that Changed the Direction of the Vikings Franchise
K. Joudry
|
Where would the Vikings franchise be without Justin Jefferson? Honestly, it’s impossible to know, but it’s likely in a considerably worse position than where they currently find themselves.
Does Kevin O’Connell become the head coach? What about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as the GM? The appeal of building around an otherwordly talent had to be appealing.
And what about last season’s 13-4 record? Somewhere around .500 would have been a far likelier outcome. Jefferson, as you may have heard, put together a strong season in 2022, capturing Offensive Player of the Year hardware for his troubles. His 1809 receiving yards is the 6th most in NFL history and his 128 receptions snag the 7th spot.
Not bad.
Going into the draft, the Vikings had some uncertainty about their direction. Subtracting Stefon Diggs, most assumed, would make the offense considerably less potent. The enigmatic receiver’s increasingly public frustration forced Rick Spielman’s hand, though, so the GM did well to get a RD1 pick (and much more).
The team was coming off their first moderately successful year with Kirk Cousins under center. The controversial QB led his team to a 10-6 record and a thrilling win over the New Orleans Saints. The goal was to equip the team with just a bit more talent to keep climbing up the standings and (more importantly) make a deep playoff push.
As we all remember, the main decision makers from within the Vikings franchise laughed in real time as Philadelphia opted for Jalen Reagor instead of Justin Jefferson. Clearly, Spielman, Mike Zimmer, and the rest of the team’s leadership were confident they found someone special at 22nd overall.
Just consider what he has done in his still-young career:
- 1400 yards in 2020, 1616 in 2021, and 1809 in 2022.
- 324 career catches and 25 career TDs.
- 3 Pro Bowls
- Runner up for Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Second-team All Pro in 2020 and 2021.
- First-team All Pro in 2022.
- Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.
- 5th in MVP voting in 2022.
The decision to pick up his 5th-year option was a thoroughly dull uncertainty. He’s staying, folks. The GM has acknowledged that he involves the WR in conversations about the direction of the franchise.
Looking back, we see that that the 2020 draft class worked out very well. Ezra Cleveland is a strong LG, someone who shines due to his compete and athleticism. D.J. Wonnum has been leaned on as critical pass rushing depth and James Lynch has worked his way into the DT rotation. K.J. Osborn can become a great WR2 and Blake Brandel is an excellent OT3. Josh Metellus is a terror on special teams who deserves more chances on defense. Troy Dye is similarly huge on specials.
The crown jewel, though, is Justin Jefferson. He could very possibly go down as Minnesota’s greatest receiver. If the brilliance continues, could Jefferson usurp Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, or John Randle as the best player in franchise history? Only time will tell, but we can’t doubt the 23-year-old.
Jefferson is entering the 4th year of his rookie contract. He’s set to carry a $4,175,438 cap charge.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
