The parents over at Pro Football Focus are busy rating every thing they will consider as all of us anticipate soccer to begin once more. Their newest rating is for “security blanket WRs, or receivers with the very best goal price when the QB is pressured. The Vikings have a WR within the high 10 listing. No prizes for guessing who it’s.
VikingsTerritory brings you the Vikings’ security blanket per Professional Soccer Focus.
Sure, it’s Justin Jefferson, who else? PFF ranks the extensive receivers by menace price, which, as they clarify of their article, “is solely goal price primarily based on the variety of routes the participant runs.” Jefferson is available in at quantity 5 on the listing with a 19.2% menace price. Drake London tops the listing with a 21.1% menace price, and the remainder of the highest 5 is made up by Ladd McConkey (20.8%), Zay Flowers (20%), and Courtland Sutton (19.7%).
It is going to shock nobody that Sam Darnold turned to Jefferson when he was in hassle final season, identical to Kirk Cousins did earlier than him, and JJ McCarthy will certainly do that season. You go to Jefferson if you’re in hassle as a result of, if you happen to give him half an opportunity, there’s each probability he comes down with the ball, even when the move shouldn’t be excellent.
The stats bear that out as PFF defined, starting with final season:
Jefferson is among the NFL’s greatest when move rushers are bearing down on his quarterback, rating within the high three in a number of metrics final season. He caught 31 of 49 pressured targets for 540 yards and 16 explosive positive factors (all top-two marks). He moved the chains 25 instances (second most), gained 116 yards after the catch (third most), and led the place with 5 touchdowns. In all, Jefferson earned an 88.2 PFF receiving grade when his quarterback was pressured (second greatest).
Darnold’s rise from no-hoper to Professional Bowler final season had loads to do with himself and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. It additionally helps immensely when you have got a person of Jefferson’s monumental abilities who will help get you out of a difficult spot. With Minnesota’s inside offensive line final season, there have been loads of difficult spots Darnold discovered himself in.
Vikings followers have turn into accustomed to seeing Jefferson pull off the miraculous. It’s what he does. The statistics for his skill on pressured targets date again to PFF’s evaluation during the last three seasons.
No receiver has seen extra pressured targets over the previous three seasons (135), and Jefferson has turned these alternatives into first-place figures in catches (83), receiving yards (1,643), and PFF receiving grade (92.3). He has additionally gained 50 first downs (second most), caught 10 landing passes (second most), and recorded 49 explosive positive factors (most) whereas averaging 5.8 yards after the catch per reception (sixth greatest).
These are unbelievable stats, with solely Cincinnati Bengals extensive receiver and former faculty teammate of Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, the one different man to get near these numbers. In that span, Chase has recorded 1,000 receiving yards with double-digit touchdowns in pressured conditions. As with most issues at WR, Jefferson and Chase are away from the pack.
There may be plenty of talent on the Vikings offense with the likes of Aaron Jones, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Addison. Nevertheless, on the lookout for Jefferson if you’re in hassle with a defender bearing down on you isn’t a foul thought. Anticipate the Vikings’ wideout to proceed to be on the high of those metrics and proceed being the Vikings’ security blanket.
Proud UK Viking. Household Man. Get pleasure from writing about my group. Away from soccer an advocate for autism acceptance.
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