Seahawks NFL Draft Profile: Van Jefferson

Once viewed as a late round prospect in a deep receiving class, Jefferson improved his stock as much as any player at the Senior Bowl with an impressive showing in Mobile and could be on the Seahawks radar.

Over the course of the next several months, the Seahawks and 31 other teams will be evaluating the latest crop of incoming talent in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Up next in our prospect profiles series, the Seahawks could use another viable receiving weapon to complement stars Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf and savvy route runner Van Jefferson could fit the bill.

Strengths

The son of 13-year NFL veteran, Jefferson runs exquisite routes both from the outside and in the slot and continued to show his elite route running skills against some of the nation’s best cornerbacks in Mobile. Reading leverage like a seasoned pro, he knows how to butter up defenders and create separation despite lacking elite speed or burst. He effectively mixes up looks at the route stem to keep opponents honest.

While he isn’t necessarily slippery, Jefferson has a knack for manufacturing yardage in chunks after the catch and he has no reservations about catching passes in heavy traffic in the middle of the field. He won’t outrun defenders or bowl through them, but he exhibits good short-area quickness to make defenders whiff in space and has enough strength to break through arm tackles. He burned Virginia for 129 receiving yards on just six receptions in the Orange Bowl and most of his yardage came after the catch.

Occasionally, Jefferson is late getting his hands to the football, but he consistently exhibited strong hands and the ability to snatch the ball out of the air at full extension throughout his senior season. In a near-upset of LSU, for example, he made two excellent grabs reaching out and plucking fastballs away from his body for touchdown receptions. On two other back-shoulder receptions in that same game, he dove to the turf and secured the ball, showing the ability to reel in errant throws.

Playing for a Gators squad that likes to run the football and needed to lean on the ground game a bit more after their starting quarterback went down with a season-ending ankle injury, Jefferson isn’t afraid to mix it up as a blocker and he battles to sustain blocks until the whistle.

Weaknesses

Set to turn 24 before his rookie season after spending five years at Ole Miss and Florida, the athletically limited Jefferson isn’t going to transform into a vertical threat overnight, as he did the majority of his damage on short receptions at the college level. His lack of top speed may force him almost exclusively into the slot once he gets to the NFL.

Though he has ideal height at 6-foot-2, Jefferson struggled against physical press coverage in the vaunted SEC. A light frame under 200 pounds, particularly a lean lower body, could make it difficult for him to battle through contact inside five yards and get open at the next level.

Balance issues were apparent on Jefferson’s college tape, particularly in games against LSU and Florida State. He has to work harder than a lot of NFL-bound receivers to get open, which causes him to lose his footing fairly frequently working out of breaks. In most instances, he still recovered to continue his route or make a reception, but it’ll be far tougher to do so against the best cornerbacks in the world.

Where He Fits in Seattle

Due to his age, Jefferson likely isn’t a high-ceiling NFL prospect, but he should enter the NFL with one of the highest floors among any receivers in this class and will be ready to immediately contribute. Despite not producing gaudy numbers at the college level, it’s worth noting he had to deal with inconsistent quarterback play throughout his time at two SEC schools.

When given the opportunity at Florida, Jefferson proved to be a reliable target regardless of who was under center, finishing with over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons with the program. He played at his best against top competition, scoring three touchdowns against LSU and Georgia this past season.

In the past, quarterback Russell Wilson has thrived teaming up with superb route runners such as Doug Baldwin. Arguably the best route runner in his draft class, snagging Jefferson would be a coup on day two for Seattle, giving the team a dependable third target to complement Lockett and Metcalf and further bolster the passing attack.