Inside The Vikings

Justin Jefferson Named Second Team All-Pro, Finalist for Pepsi Rookie of the Year

The Vikings' superstar wide receiver earned some high recognition for his rookie season.
Will Ragatz|
Justin Jefferson Named Second Team All-Pro, Finalist for Pepsi Rookie of the Year
Justin Jefferson Named Second Team All-Pro, Finalist for Pepsi Rookie of the Year

Vikings record-breaking rookie receiver Justin Jefferson was named a second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press on Friday. He received five votes, finishing behind first-team honorees Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, and Davante Adams as well as fellow second-team finisher DeAndre Hopkins.

Jefferson was the only NFL rookie named to either the first or second team and was one of just two to receive any votes (the other being Tampa Bay OL Tristan Wirfs). Other than Jefferson, the only Viking to receive any votes was Eric Kendricks, who finished eighth in voting among linebackers.

Somewhat surprisingly, neither Dalvin Cook nor Harrison Smith received a single All-Pro vote. The full rosters can be found here.

This is a cool honor for Jefferson, who is already earning recognition as a top-five NFL receiver after just one season. The 21-year-old from LSU lit the league on fire this year, breaking the Super Bowl era record for rookie receiving yards with 1,400. He finished third among all NFL receivers in yards, second in yards per route run, and second in PFF grade.

Despite recording one of the best rookie WR seasons of all time, Jefferson is a longshot to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in February. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had a record-breaking season of his own and is the heavy favorite for that award.

Still, there's another way Jefferson could earn some rookie honors. He was named a finalist for the Pepsi ROY award, which is voted on entirely by fans. Jefferson is joined by Herbert, Chase Young, James Robinson, and Jonathan Taylor. Vikings fans have a history of leading their candidate to a victory in this unofficial award, with Teddy Bridgewater (2014), Percy Harvin (2009), and Adrian Peterson (2007) all winning in the past.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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