Getty Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson.
Davante Adams’ trade to the Las Vegas Raiders hasn’t changed opinions on him. He’s still widely considered the best wide receiver in the NFL. He was just rated as the only wide receiver at 99 overall in EA Sports‘ “Madden 23,” and many continue to proclaim that there is no one better in the league.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is among the wide receivers in the NFL who could make an argument that they are just as good. Despite only being in the league for two seasons, he’s accumulated 3,016 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s one of the most exciting young players around.
However, even he can’t argue that he’s better than Adams right now. While he acknowledged that the Raiders star is still the best, he put Adams on notice by saying that it won’t last past this season.
“I’ll say 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.”
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Can Jefferson Surpass Adams?
Adams won’t give up the crown easily but Jefferson is a special player. He’s been putting up record-breaking numbers with a defensive head coach in Mike Zimmer. In fact, he has more receiving yards across his first two seasons than any player in NFL history.
This offseason, the Vikings hired Kevin O’Connell who is considered an offensive guru and worked under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. It remains to be seen how he’ll perform as a head coach but there’s no doubt he knows more about offense than Zimmer. With that in mind, Jefferson could put up even better numbers than he did over his first two seasons. If he’s able to surpass the 1,616 yards he had last season, he’ll have a very strong argument that he is the best wide receiver in the league.
Adams Could Also Be in for Huge Year
While Jefferson is poised to put up massive numbers, there’s no reason to believe that Adams will decline. He’s been fortunate to play with one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history Aaron Rodgers. Derek Carr isn’t on that level but he played with Adams at Fresno State and the two have an amazing rapport.
The only reason Adams’ stats could take a dip would be due to the Raiders’ overabundance of great pass catchers. He’ll have to share targets with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow, who are both Pro Bowl players. He was the go-to guy in Green Bay but that might not always be the case in Las Vegas. That said, the Raiders should have a high-flying offense so they’ll be plenty of targets to go around.
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Justin Jefferson Puts Raiders’ Davante Adams on Notice