Justin Jefferson’s arrival in Minnesota was actually an unexpected steal that the Vikings pulled off cleverly. He was expected to get picked by the Eagles, who went after Jalen Reagor of TCU. After three years, an old clip from the draft day has now resurfaced where the Vikings clan look at each other in disbelief and select Jefferson as the next pick.
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Coming out of LSU, Jefferson proved to be an absolute dynamo for the team. His exceptional receiving skills and blazing abilities have outclassed several veterans, and are sure to make him one of the finest athletes in the history of the league.
Justin Jefferson getting picked by the Vikings goes viral
The NFL draft is often a tense moment for the players and team management, who eagerly wait for their chance to make their pick. The attitude remains the same, take the best one from the lot. And sometimes the choices go wrong. It cannot be contemplated at that moment; however, time will show how crucial that opportunity turned out to be in their favor.
In the case of Jefferson, the Eagles lost their chance. The 2020 NFL draft class was stoked with exemplary talents in the wide receiver corps. Already, three prospects were off the board.
It was the 21st overall pick that the Eagles had to make, and as everyone expected, the LSU product was on the line. The Vikingsthen-head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman were all nervous. “We were sweating it out the whole time,” Zimmer said about the moment, per ESPN.
Surprisingly, the Eagles went after Jalen Reager, creating a moment of absolute disbelief and laughter inside the Vikings clan. “Get Justin Jefferson on right now,” Spielman said through a huge grin. They succeeded in getting the champ on board, and the rest is history.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman regrets the moment to date
Three years have passed, and Jefferson remains a lethal weapon for the offensive unit. Ironically, the Vikings recruited Reager to the squad last season. Per reports, Jefferson has caught 252 more passes than Reagor. He has 4,026 more receiving yards than Reagor and has caught 21 more TDs. Even today, Roseman recalls the moment and wishes he could go back in time.
“I’m not going to sit here and lie. We’d love to have that moment back.” Roseman said. “I think a lot of the message there is, we just have to take the best players at all times. At the end of the day, I’m responsible for all of that.
“But I also promise you one thing, if I make a mistake, I’m going to do everything in my power to make it up,” he added. It will be interesting to see whether Jefferson can clinch his first championship title in the upcoming season.
