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Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson is among the best players at his position. Moreover, one Chicago radio host believes the NFC North could have another Jefferson ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Last season with the Vikings, Jefferson played 592 pass snaps, leading to an 80.5 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he hauled in 84 receptions on 140 targets for 1,048 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Jefferson averaged 12.5 yards per reception and generated 435 yards after the catch.
Despite the challenges at QB, Jefferson still put up respectable numbers. One player who could follow a similar path is the Chicago Bears‘ Luther Burden III. On May 29, 104.3 The Score’s David Haugh said he could see Burden becoming Chicago’s version of Jefferson.
“I just think [Bears head coach Ben Johnson] sounded like Luther Burden III is their version of Justin Jefferson,” Haugh said. “I know that’s a huge leap. He said he’s buying Luther Burden stock now. He did not say he’s getting shares of Rome Odunze.
“This is somebody who came as close to anointing him the No. 1 wide receiver as you’re going to hear from a guy who is very smart in the way he talks about his players.
“Luther Burden is not injured, so he’s playing fast. And what I mean in terms of the Justin Jefferson comparison is he is your big-play guy. He’s your dependable, explosive guy. I think he wants to be that guy in this passing game.”
Minnesota’s defense will get to face Burden and see if he can turn into a Jefferson-like player in Week 2.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy on Jauan Jennings
Speaking of wide receivers, the Vikings will have a new one on their roster with the arrival of former San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings to fill that WR3 role after the departure of Jalen Nailor in free agency this offseason.
On May 27, J.J. McCarthy spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on Jennings’ arrival as the Vikings QB could be throwing him the ball should he win the signal-caller competition.
“I’m so happy to have that guy as part of the squad,” McCarthy told reporters. “[Jennings has] got great energy about him. I’ve been watching him for a long time. He’s been doing it at a really high level for a long time, and we’re blessed to have him as part of this group. “
Last season with the 49ers, Jennings posted a 68.3 overall PFF grade, finishing with 55 catches on 88 targets for 643 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per reception. Furthermore, he recorded 180 yards after the catch and had three drops during the season.
Justin Jefferson, J.J. McCarthy Build Offseason Connection
Meanwhile, when it comes to Jefferson, he spent this offseason working with J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings QB shared the offseason connection that the two players built as Jefferson helps McCarthy, who will be in a signal-caller competition with Kyler Murray to determine the starter.
“It’s just building those on-time and on-rhythm passes for each concept, each route,” McCarthy added. “It’s just tremendous to be around that guy every single day.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
