Questions Answered: JJets at 7th-Best WR, Another K.J. Osborn Leap, Kaepernick’s Tryout
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the May 25th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: Pro Football Focus ranked Justin Jefferson as 2022’s seventh-best wide receiver? Is that too high or low?
A: That is too low.
Jefferson solidified his status as a Top 3 wide receiver in 2021, his sophomore season. Folks couldn’t quite anoint him as such after his rookie seasons because, in theory, he could’ve been a one-hit-wonder.
Alas, he was not.
Jefferson should be #3 in any WR rankings behind Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp. And that would be on the “low” end — the bottom floor.
Q: K.J. Osborn said on Jim Rome’s show today that he looks forward to another big leap in his third season? What would the numbers look like if that happened?
A: Indeed, his goal should be to improve.
In 2021, out of nowhere, Osborn registered 655 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. So, a reasonable leap this season would be 800-900 receiving yards and eight or so touchdowns.
He’ll need targets inside Kevin O’Connell’s offense, which, in theory, could be a small problem. Why? Well, Irv Smith Jr. is back after missing a season due to injury. Osborn received extra attention in Minnesota’s 2021 offense because Smith Jr. was gone.
Q: If Colin Kaepernick signs with the Las Vegas Raiders, can he really make a comeback at age 34?
A: He can absolutely make a comeback for one reason. He’ll be asked to be a QB2 or QB3. He won’t play. If signed in Las Vegas, he’ll fight for a backup job with Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham.
Should he win that battle — a longshot for a soon-to-be 35-year-old — Kaepernick will simply hold a clipboard behind Derek Carr.
Kaepernick won’t be signed by any team for QB1 duty, so making a comeback as a QB2 or QB3 is more than achievable.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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