NFL Rumors: Vikings to officially consider Justin Jefferson Draft Day trade.
Justin Jefferson will be the wideout room leader once again as the Minnesota Vikings get ready for a new season. Nevertheless, persistent reports tend to indicate that his role wasn’t entirely assured until after draft night. According to a report by Charlie Walters of Twin Cities.com, there were rumors that the Vikings intended to pick a top wide receiver early in the draft, which would require them to trade Jefferson away.
According to Walters, there was talk during the selection that the Vikings intended to drop from No. 11 to No. 5 in order to select LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was selected by the New York Giants at No. 6 instead of a quarterback. “Jefferson would have been traded, and Nabers would have been the top receiver, had that trade happened.”
Ultimately, the Vikings made the decision to select J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall choice, moving up one position. Considering Kirk Cousins’ choice to accept an offseason contract with the Atlanta Falcons, one may argue that this is the best course of action.
And it would be a very dubious move on the part of the front office if the hypothetical Nabers scenario came to be. Ultimately, there’s no justification for them to abruptly move their greatest player in the hopes that a rookie with little NFL experience would emerge as a suitable stand-in right away. This is not meant as a knock to Nabers, who has demonstrated his abilities with LSU in the amateur ranks and has a ton of star potential. Nevertheless, it’s puzzling to give Jefferson away for two reasons.
Jefferson is a young man, to start. Since the wideout is only 24 years old, he has many more years to play at the highest level. Furthermore, observe his performance on the field. Jefferson, a three-time All-Pro, accumulated 5,899 yards in his first four seasons, which is the highest receiving yardage for a player in NFL history. In 2022, Jefferson won the title of Offensive Player of the Year. Moreover, he has appeared in three Pro Bowls overall.
It’s true that Jefferson suffered a lot of injuries during the team’s most recent season. The receiver had hamstring and chest issues last season, which caused him to miss seven games. Furthermore, it may be mentioned that Jefferson is approaching the end of his rookie contract, which means he will soon be able to sign a free agency contract and is due for a significant extension. The advantages still exceed the disadvantages, even if they are potential issues for the front desk.
All things considered, they are merely rumors that will probably be quickly forgotten. Ultimately, Justin Jefferson is still a Viking under contract, and come September, he should have another successful season.
