People have been asking if Justin Jefferson is going to be the next Cooper Kupp ever since it was announced that Kevin O’Connell would be taking over as head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
But honestly—and this is no slight intended for Kupp—that question is a bit disingenuous because there’s only one Justin Jefferson.
When appearing on The Ringer NFL Show, the two-time All-Pro receiver talked about the different challenge he poses for opposing defenses within O’Connell’s pass-heavy offense.
“Pretty much where Cooper Kupp was at that’s pretty much where I’m at. But my ability to move in different positions is gonna be more,” said Jefferson. “I’m able to go in outside. You don’t really see Cooper Kupp lining outside as many times as I would. Or me lining in the backfield, or me just lining up in different positions to get the ball.”
Brett Kollmann of “The Film Room” does an incredible job of breaking down the actual film of how Jefferson’s usage within O’Connell’s offense will compare to Kupp’s.
But there’s no question that Jefferson is the more versatile receiver with the greater physical gifts, which makes his pairing with O’Connell that much more interesting.
Does that mean he’s going to have 2,000-plus yards receiving this season or even outdo Kupp’s ridiculous 1,947-yard season? Not at all.
But it also isn’t out of the realm of possibility, either.
Jefferson hauled in 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns with Mike Zimmer as his head coach last season. If that’s any indication of what the future will look like, then it’s going to be a long year for opposing defenses lining up against this Vikings offense.
