Inside The Vikings

Justin Jefferson Voted as Second-Best Player in Entire NFL

Jefferson comes in at No. 2 in this year's player-voted NFL Top 100.
Will Ragatz|
Justin Jefferson Voted as Second-Best Player in Entire NFL
Justin Jefferson Voted as Second-Best Player in Entire NFL

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Minnesota Vikings

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is No. 2 in this year's 'NFL Top 100.' That means his fellow players voted him as the second-best player in the entire league, behind only Chiefs QB and reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes.

"I think a lot of guys pretend to be a superstar, but he naturally has an aura that makes him a superstar and it's genuine," Jaguars WR Zay Jones said.

"You watch his film, and it kind of leaves you speechless," said Colts WR Parris Cambell.

This offseason has brought some well-deserved recognition to Jefferson, who is off to the best three-year start to a career by any receiver in NFL history. He was recently named a 99 overall in Madden 23 and is now second on the top 100, making him the highest-ranked Vikings player since Adrian Peterson was No. 1 ten years ago.

Jefferson led the league in receptions and receiving yards last season at age 23, winning the league's offensive player of the year award. His 1,809 yards were the sixth-highest single-season total ever. And Jefferson did it while teams were doing everything they could, week after week, to try to limit his production.

It's a 15-spot leap for Jefferson, who ranked 17th last year. He was 53rd after his rookie season.

The Vikings had three players make the player-voted list: Jefferson at 2, Kirk Cousins at 42, and Harrison Smith at 97. Three departed members of the 2022 team — Za'Darius Smith, Dalvin Cook, and Eric Kendricks — also made it. Danielle Hunter, T.J. Hockenson, Christian Darrisaw, and Brian O'Neill were all left out of the top 100.

All that's left for Jefferson to do is move up to No. 1 next year if he can.

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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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