As the Minnesota Vikings prepare for another campaign, Justin Jefferson will once again lead the wideout room. However, there seems to be speculation that his role wasn’t fully secure until the conclusion of draft night, according to ongoing rumors. In an article written by Twin Cities.com’s Charlie Walters, there were talks that the Vikings wanted to move up the draft to select a top WR prospect, meaning that they’d have to ship Jefferson away somewhere else.
“There was buzz at draft time that the Vikings wanted to move from No. 11 to No. 5, not to pick a quarterback but to get LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was picked No. 6 by the (New York) Giants,” Walters wrote. “Had that trade occurred, Jefferson would have been traded and Nabers would have been the No. 1 receiver.”
The Vikings eventually decided on moving up one spot to pick J.J. McCarthy as the 10th overall pick. One can argue that it’s the better move, considering Kirk Cousins’ decision to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason.
Does a Justin Jefferson trade even make sense?
And if ever the Nabers scenario hypothetically played out, it would be a very questionable decision by the front office. After all, there’s no reason why they should suddenly trade their best player in hopes that a rookie with no NFL experience would somehow develop as an immediate replacement. This is not to slight Nabers, who has plenty of star potential and has proven himself with LSU in the amateurs. Still, giving away Jefferson is head-scratching for two reasons.
One, Jefferson is still young. The wideout is only 24 years old, meaning he still has plenty more years of playing at an elite level. And secondly, just look at what he does on the field. A three-time All-Pro, Jefferson amassed a total of 5,899 yards in his first four years — the most receiving yards through a player’s first four seasons in NFL history. Jefferson was named the Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. Furthermore, he’s made a total of three Pro Bowl appearances.
It is true that Jefferson was hurt a lot in the team’s most recent campaign. The receiver missed seven games last season after suffering hamstring and chest injuries. Additionally, it can be stated that Jefferson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, meaning that he’s about to become a free agent and is due for a massive extension. If these are possible concerns for the front office, then the positives still outweigh the negatives.
All things considered, these are just rumors, and will likely be forgotten immediately. At the end of the day, Justin Jefferson is still under contract with the Vikings, and is expected to have another big year come September.
