Vikings’ Justin Jefferson: ‘I’ll be the best receiver in the NFL’

Justin Jefferson is not only eyeing a third consecutive standout season with the Minnesota Vikings, but also aiming to cement himself as the best wide receiver in the league. It’s a title he believes belongs to Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Davante Adams — for now.

“After this year, I’ll be the best receiver in the NFL,” Jefferson told Complex. “I definitely have to give it to Davante Adams as of now, him being so crazy and dynamic on the field. His route running is crazy, so I definitely have to give it to him right now, but I’m pretty sure after this year it’s going to be me.”

How exactly does he plan on doing that?

“[I’m] always working on my game,” Jefferson said. “I’m always working on route running, always can work on catching the ball, so just trying to better my craft at all of those different categories.”

Jefferson — the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — has had two electrifying seasons in the NFL thus far, totaling 196 receptions, 3,016 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.

The 23-year-old Pro Bowler, who has already expressed his desire to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, aspires to be “legendary” just like the players who have influenced him over the years.

“I’m just trying to be up with those greats, trying to be next to them in the Hall of Fame,” Jefferson said. “I didn’t expect to be on top of the league this soon, but all of the hard work I’ve done and all of the things that I’ve sacrificed in my career and in my life to make myself this type of player — it’s definitely a blessing.”

He went on to say that he doesn’t carry a chip on his shoulder for being the fifth receiver drafted in 2020.

“At this point, my stats prove that I’m the best one coming out of that draft of receivers, so I guess you can say I’m pretty much proving my point … that I’m the best receiver in that draft class,” Jefferson said. “I just have to keep going, keep doing more things, keep bettering myself and bettering my craft.”

The four receivers taken before Jefferson in the 2020 draft were Henry Ruggs, Denver’s Jerry Jeudy, Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb and Philadelphia’s Jalen Reagor. Jefferson boasts more targets, receptions, receiving yards, yards per reception and touchdowns than any of those four. In fact, Lamb is the only one who comes remotely close.

Since his 2020 debut, Jefferson’s 3,016 receiving yards not only lead the league but are the most in a player’s first two seasons in NFL history. He’s also the first player to record 1,400-plus yards in each of his first two seasons, and he needs just 1,148 yards this upcoming season to surpass Randy Moss (4,163 yards from 1998-2000) for the most yards in a player’s first three seasons.

In 2021, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and Jefferson generated an 80.7 total EPA — the change in the expected points value from pre-play to post-play. That was the second-highest mark in the NFL behind only Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl duo Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp (115.0 EPA), per Next Gen Stats.