Someone in the NFL Ranked Justin Jefferson Where Among WRs?

Heading into the 2023 NFL season, Justin Jefferson is the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the league. He's the highest-rated WR in Madden, joining the prestigious 99 club. And unsurprisingly, he topped the receiver rankings in ESPN's annual survey of executives, coaches, scouts, and players.

"You can put him in all 32 offenses, and he will produce and fit in seamlessly," an NFC executive said to ESPN. "Most consistent, most complete, the ability to separate, has a knack to make the play when it needs to be made, shows up in big moments. The game is just really natural to him. Can beat doubles and can work inside or out."

That pretty much sums it up. Jefferson has been utterly dominant over the past three seasons and has only gotten more productive every year, somehow.

What stands out most from ESPN's rankings is that someone within the league saw the OPOY season Jefferson had last year and still ranked him SEVENTH.

Huh? If someone wants to rank Davante Adams or Tyreek Hill or JaMarr Chase or some combination of them above Jefferson...sure. It's a bit of a hot take, but it's defendable. But to have him outside of the top five, much less seventh, just isn't a serious opinion. We had this conversation when Keyshawn Johnson did it a few weeks ago.

Jefferson does everything well on the football field. If he has one weakness, it's probably physicality, but even that rarely works against him for long. When Jefferson doesn't put up huge numbers, it's usually because he's being heavily double- or triple-teamed. That, or Kirk Cousins is under siege from the opposing defensive line and doesn't have time to get the ball downfield.

If Jefferson has a weakness, evaluators say, it's attacking press-man coverage from bigger cornerbacks who will wrestle him, knowing officials can't catch every holding call.

"But he's relentless enough and a smart enough player where by the second half he usually figures things out," the exec said.

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