Vikings Message Board.Com

VikingsVictorious wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 5:28 pm

VikingLord wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:51 pm

The challenge for anyone trying to evaluate a given player's potential as a pro is to separate what they uniquely possess and how that affects their ceiling as a pro from what they contributed due to the college system and team they played for. For football that is quite a challenge because it is such a team game, and I think that is one reason why combine results play such a large role in draft evaluations. That is why a relatively unproductive college prospect like Troy Williamson can be selected 7th in a draft while more productive, but less physically gifted, receivers might go much later.

So the question about Jefferson is was his production just a product of the system?

The way I attempt to answer that is to look at what he individually did and does well. The first thing I looked at with him was how he handled the shift to more of a slot role after playing primarily wide for his first two seasons. Why I looked at that was to assess how adaptable and teachable he was, because a slot WR has a completely different route tree and is usually asked to catch more balls in traffic and across the middle. In Jefferson's case, he thrived in both roles IMHO, showing he could learn and perform at a high level either outside or inside.

The second thing I looked at was how he catches the ball, because not all WRs are created equal when it comes to bringing the ball in and securing it. Here too Jefferson does a great job. He has soft hands. He can reach out and pluck the ball - he doesn't need to have perfect body position nor does he need to have his body behind his hands to secure the ball. He's what I would call a pure receiver, tracking the ball well and effortlessly adjusting his body and hands to secure it. He won't have many drops in the pros as result.

The last thing I look at is effort and concentration. Here too Jefferson excels. I never saw him slack. Whether he was the primary receiver or a decoy or asked to block (even backside), his effort was consistent. There could be plays he took off that I didn't see, but he seemed to hold himself accountable on every snap and that attitude is what you want from every player on the field.

I don't think he's a system player at all. He may have some limitations (few don't), but I think he can and will be able to play whatever WR position the Vikes need him to play. I think he can and will earn the confidence of Cousins as a guy he can count on to make plays when Cousins looks his way. I think he can and will become a leader on the offensive side of the ball.

Now, when it comes to Mims...

(just kidding!)

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So let it be Done.