4,248 - Justin Jefferson
4,163 - Randy Moss
4,122 - Odell Beckham Jr.
3,833 - A.J. Green
3,787 - Michael Thomas
3,786 - Torry Holt
3,578 - Mike Evans
3,575 - Jerry Rice
3,533 - DeAndre Hopkins
3,431 - John Jefferson
Randy Moss and Jerry Rice have a bust in Canton. A.J. Green, Torry Holt, and DeAndre Hopkins will eventually join them. Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans are still making a Hall of Fame argument. Michael Thomas needs to get on the field and stay on the field to have a shot. The first JJ, John Jefferson is probably the most surprising receiver on the list as his three seasons were 1978-80. 3,431 yards is a ridiculous three-year total in that run-centric era. It’s even more ridiculous that it was his first three years in the league. Don Coryell’s teams threw the ball more like today’s offenses than a late-1970s offense but Jefferson had to share the ball with Hall of Fame pass catchers Charlie Joiner and Kellen Winslow and running backs Lydell Mitchell and Chuck Muncie. It was a very different time and John Jefferson was a very different receiver. It’s great to be reminded of that by seeing him on this list.
The current JJ, Justin Jefferson tops this remarkable list of receivers and he still has six games to add to it. If he continues this season at his current pace, his lead over Moss could balloon to about 800 yards. Incredible. In a league that’s routinely filled with loads of great receivers, it’s rare to see such a gap between the best and next best. I’m running out of words to describe the start of Jefferson’s career.
277 catches, 4248 yards, and 22 TDs
If Jefferson can sustain a long and healthy career, he should challenge Jerry Rice’s career records. At least, he should challenge the receptions and yardage records. For all of his catches and all of his yards, Jefferson hasn’t scored a lot of touchdowns. 22 TDs. John Jefferson caught 36 over his first three seasons. Rice caught 40. So often, Justin Jefferson’s catches move his team down the field, get his team in position to score. Then, a teammate scores. So often, he makes some ridiculous, contested catch and he’s down where he lands. He needs to catch some passes in stride and run into the end zone. That’d be nice.
Most importantly, here’s hoping that all of Justin Jefferson’s catches, yards, and scores lead to a Super Bowl win. Hopefully, a bunch of Super Bowl wins.
The Vikings have a strong receiver tradition. Paul Flatley, Gene Washington, John Gilliam, Sammy White, Ahmad Rashad, Anthony Carter, Cris Carter, Jake Reed, Randy Moss, Percy Harvin, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and now Justin Jefferson. Hall of Famers, Carter and Moss have become the franchise standard. One had the best hands in the history of the league. The other was arguably the most physically, freakishly gifted receiver in the history of the league. I know that I never thought I’d see a receiver challenge the franchise standard. Jefferson does. Statistically, he’s done, and doing, things that neither Carter nor Moss did. Despite not being as sturdy as Carter or as tall as Moss, he’s as physical as both. I think that Jefferson’s physicality comes from his unrelenting competitiveness. He has to win. Perhaps it’s from growing up with two accomplished, athletic older brothers. Who knows? I just know that in Jefferson I see a receiver that has to win. He has to win each pass, each matchup, each game. It’s a good quality to have. Jefferson is more than fast enough. He has excellent hands. He runs excellent routes. Put it all together, he’s a great receiver. I never thought I’d see another Vikings receiver that can be mentioned with Carter and Moss. I’m seeing that receiver now.
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