Randy Moss praises Justin Jefferson during appearance on 'ManningCast'
When people talk about the best receivers in the history of the Minnesota Vikings, Randy Moss stands out above the rest. With that in mind, Moss's words carry plenty of weight – especially when talking about the Vikings' latest star, Justin Jefferson.
Moss made an appearance on ESPN's Manningcast on Monday night and he was asked if Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Moss told Peyton and Eli Manning that Jefferson was "hands down" one of the top receivers and that he pegged him on a big season after Kevin O'Connell was hired as head coach.
"I just thought Justin Jefferson really had a chance to do something special this season," Moss said. "Getting a guy like Kevin O'Connell with the success that [Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp] was able to have last year."
Kupp's success was one of the biggest reasons Vikings fans were optimistic with the hiring of O'Connell. The Rams star led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns last season, claiming the first receiving triple crown since Steve Smith did it with the Carolina Panthers in 2005.
While Jefferson is currently not leading the NFL in any of the three categories, he ranks third with 88 receptions, second with 1,277 receiving yards and ninth with six receiving touchdowns. He also has numerous highlight catches that have helped the Vikings ascend toward the top of the NFC with a 10-2 record.
Even then, Jefferson's stats are comparable with Moss through his first three seasons. Jefferson has already passed Moss's 4,163 yards receiving between 1998 and 2000 with 4,293 yards and he has five games remaining to widen that margin.
Although Moss had 43 touchdowns during his first three seasons compared to 23 for Jefferson, Jefferson has already taken down several of Moss's records. The next one could be Moss's 1,632 single-season record for receiving yards set in 2003 – a record that Jefferson came 16 yards short of last season.
It's a big reason why Jefferson has fulfilled his own prophecy of becoming one of the best receivers in the game from last summer and could take on a new challenge as the Vikings march toward the playoffs.
