NFL Draft 2020: Vikings add elite weapon for Kirk Cousins in Justin Jefferson

Kirk Cousins needed another weapon after losing Stefon Diggs this offseason and the Vikings went out and drafted LSU’s Justin Jefferson.

Like Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson came out of high school as a lightly-recruited kid with a chip on his shoulder. Now he’ll be joining Cousins in Minnesota, forming a deadly combination for the Vikings.

Minnesota picked Jefferson at No. 22 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft and some might call this a steal, but I’ll refer to it as highway robbery. Jefferson was arguably the second or third-best receiver in the draft and the Vikings got him all the way down at No. 22 after Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Jalen Reagor came off the board already.

If you’re looking for glowing reviews for Jefferson, it won’t be that difficult. Just Google his NFL draft profiles as he’s one of the shiftiest and most explosive receivers in the class and has the perfect body type at 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds.

Jefferson came to LSU as the lowest-rated recruit in his class and he quickly rose up the depth chart and became a serious contributor in 2018, catching 54 passes for 875 yards and six touchdowns.

And then his numbers shot up in 2019 as he became LSU’s top receiver with 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. He proved that he can be a serious threat at the next level and that’s great news for the Vikings and Cousins.

Grade: A

I didn’t think I’d give a grade this high at the No. 22 spot in the draft, but the Vikings filled an immediate need with arguably the best player available which doesn’t happen all that often. Jefferson is the perfect replacement for Stefon Diggs.