Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson

26-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Minnesota Vikings
2025 Receiving Stats
REC
84
YDS
1048
TD
2
AVG
12.5
TAR
141
2026 Projections
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YDS
TD
AVG
TAR
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2026 Fantasy Outlook
Jefferson topped 87 yards per game in each of his first five NFL seasons, displaying an unmatched degree of consistency for a downfield-oriented receiver in this era of short-passing attacks. He survived a transition from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold, putting up 103-1,533-10 in 2024, but even Jefferson couldn't stay afloat in 2025 when young quarterback J.J. McCarthy sank Kevin O'Connell's once-steady longship. On paper, Jefferson was left with one of the worst 1,000-yard seasons ever, barely getting there on 144 targets and scoring just two TDs in the process. In reality, he wasn't to blame, held back by the same league-worst QB play that made talented teammates T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison irrelevant for fantasy. The Vikings have a new plan for 2026, at least at QB, where they're banking on Kyler Murray to revive O'Connell's offense and rejuvenate his own career in the process. Murray helped WR DeAndre Hopkins put up some big numbers in Arizona under Kliff Kingsbury, but that was largely a product of numerous quick targets in an offense drastically different from O'Connell's. While there's no doubt about Murray being a major real-life upgrade on the quarterbacks that Jefferson dealt with last year, it might not be the best style of QB play for a wideout who does the bulk of his damage on deep and intermediate throws. Read Past Outlooks
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RANKS
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Overall
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Wide Receiver
Height 6'1"
Weight 195
DOB 6/16/1999
College LSU
Drafted 1st Rd 2020 #22 Overall
Signed a four-year, $140 million contract with the Vikings in June of 2024.
Simple contract restructure
WRMinnesota Vikings
March 6, 2026
Jefferson agreed to terms Friday on a contract restructure that frees up salary cap space for the Vikings, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Jefferson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) both agreed to restructures Friday, helping Minnesota achieve a more manageable salary cap situation ahead of the start of the legal tampering period on Monday. The star wide receiver, who will turn 27 in June, will likely spend the offseason focusing on building an increased rapport with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand), after the two struggled to get on the same page throughout the 2025 campaign. The Vikings have also been linked to numerous quarterbacks expected to be available in free agency as potential added competition for McCarthy.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Justin Jefferson's 2025 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
84.4
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.53
 
% Team Air Yards
38.2%
 
% Team Targets
30.2%
 
Avg Depth of Target
10.2 Yds
 
Catch Rate
59.6%
 
Drop Rate
2.1%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
5.1
 
% Targeted On Route
24.9%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.85
 
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Minnesota VikingsVikings 2025 WR Snap Distribution
See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
J.Justin Jefferson
J.Jordan Addison
J.Jalen Nailor
A.Adam Thielen
T.Tai Felton
M.Myles Price
T.Tim Jones
#% of Team Snaps
93794%
71271%
65065%
18218%
465%
172%
61%
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#1 WR
Minnesota VikingsVikings
  1. Justin Jefferson
  2. Jordan Addison
  3. Jauan Jennings
  4. Tai Felton
  5. Jeshaun Jones
  6. Myles PriceQues
  7. Dontae Fleming
  8. Joaquin Davis
  9. Dillon Bell
  10. Luke Wysong
  11. Shaleak Knotts
  12. Marcus Sanders
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Justin Jefferson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2025 Justin Jefferson Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Justin Jefferson's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 1"
 
Weight
195 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.43 sec
 
Vertical Jump
37.5 in
 
Broad Jump
126 in
 
Hand Length
9.13 in
 
Arm Length
33.00 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Justin Jefferson See More
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Justin Jefferson See More
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Kirk Cousins' departure from Minnesota last offseason dropped Jefferson from his familiar perch as an early first-round fantasy pick, leaving him as more of a mid-round-1 guy amidst concerns about Vikings QBs Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy. It ended up being good value, with an average of 18.7 PPR points representing Jefferson's lowest mark since his 2020 rookie season yet still enough to rank second among WRs in total points and fourth in points per game. There seems to be less concern about a new QB this time around, after Jefferson and Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell coaxed 35 TD passes out of Darnold. We don't yet know if McCarthy, last year's 10th overall pick, will end up being an upgrade, a downgrade or about the same as Darnold, but it's safe to say the 22-year-old's statistics will look better than his actual performance. O'Connell not only likes to chuck the ball around but also is among the best at scheming it up, and the Vikings have talented ancillary pass catchers (WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson, WR Adam Thielen) to take some of the heat off Jefferson without truly threatening his volume. If Jefferson goes in the middle part of Round 1 rather than the early part this year, it's seemingly a matter of optimism regarding RBs Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs more so than fears about McCarthy. Early ADP feedback has Jefferson safely in the WR2 spot, behind only Ja'Marr Chase.
Jefferson reached 1,400 yards as a rookie, 1,600 as a sophomore, 1,800 in Year 3 and then looked ready to push for 2,000 early last season. He was already up to 571 in Week 5 when a hamstring injury knocked him out for the fourth quarter and then the next seven games. Jefferson's long-awaited return was spoiled by a chest injury after 13 snaps, but he came back the next week and exploded for 476 yards over the final four games to comfortably clear 1,000 yards for the season (1,074). If not for the two partial games, he almost certainly would've led the league in receiving yards per game for a second straight year, though Miami's Tyreek Hill was the undisputed king for both 2022 and 2023 in terms of per-route production. Jefferson is by no means lacking in that regard -- he's been Top 10 in yards per route in all four of his seasons -- but it helps that he almost never comes off the field when healthy and spent the past two years in Kevin O'Connell offenses that threw the ball 676 (3rd) and 631 (4th) times. O'Connell is still around, but the Minnesota offense is much harder to decipher after TE T.J. Hockenson suffered a late-season ACL tear and QB Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta. While few teams can match the WR pairing of Jefferson and 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison, there's obvious risk of a down year with Sam Darnold taking the QB snaps.
Jefferson, Randy Moss and Odell Beckham are the only players to reach 4,000 receiving yards in their first three NFL seasons, and Jefferson is more than 650 yards clear of the other two after leading the NFL with 1,809 last year. The 22nd overall pick from the 2020 draft has neatly progressed from 1,400 to 1,600 to 1,800 yards each year while catching at least 64.7 percent of his targets for at least 9.7 YPT each season. Jefferson is only slightly above league average for WRs in terms of size (6-1, 195) and timed speed (4.43 40), but he's otherwise elite when it comes to route-running, ball skills and general feel for the game. He rapidly surpassed veteran Vikings wideout Adam Thielen, who was released this offseason and signed with Carolina. Thielen's departure might mean even more defensive attention on Jefferson, but it could also mean even more targets in a passing game that otherwise features first-round WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson and WR KJ Osborn. Boasting the highest non-injury floor of anyone in the player pool, Jefferson quickly emerged as the most popular No. 1 overall pick in early 2023 drafts. While one might argue there are a few running backs with more upside, we also have to consider that a 2,000-yard season is within Jefferson's range of possibilities.
On a per-target basis, Jefferson's second NFL season (9.7 YPT) wasn't quite as dominant as his first (11.2). But that's nitpicking; the bigger picture shows he added 42 targets from the previous year and was still one of the most efficient wideouts in the league. Only 11 produced more yards per target, and that includes four who saw 70 or fewer passes. Jefferson finished fourth among WRs in targets and catches, second in receiving yards and tied for sixth in touchdowns. The 23-year-old often makes it look easy, seemingly playing both bigger and faster than his on-paper metrics suggest (6-1, 195, 4.43 40, 37.5-inch vertical). From a fantasy standpoint, there's just as much to like, with Jefferson playing in an above-average offense that has enough weapons to keep defenses honest but nobody to challenge him as the go-to guy. Jefferson surpassed Adam Thielen for that honor mid-2020, and while the 31-year-old Thielen scored 10 touchdowns last year, he saw 2.5 fewer targets per game than his young running mate (9.8 to 7.3). If anything, the split could go even more in Jefferson's direction this year, though there is another variable with new head coach Kevin O'Connell arriving from the Rams. Other than that, stability is the story, with QB Kirk Cousins and RB Dalvin Cook joining Jefferson, Thielen and TE Irv Smith to form one of the league's more well-rounded groups of skill-position players.
With Stefon Diggs sent off to Buffalo, the Vikings needed to find a reliable complement to Adam Thielen last season. It didn’t take long. Despite a limited offseason and training camp, and playing only 65 snaps combined in Weeks 1-2, Jefferson set the league on fire as a rookie, leading the NFL in YPT (11.2) by a mile and finishing fourth in receiving yards (1,400). At 6-1, 202, and with good speed (4.45), Jefferson is athletic, smooth and explosive. Despite getting only 125 targets (18th), Jefferson tied for the league lead in catches of 20-plus yards with 23. The only hole in his game was red-zone usage — he saw only 12 inside-the-20 targets, eight inside the 10 and two inside the five, while his less efficient teammate Thielen had 20, 13 and eight, respectively. It’s no wonder then that Thielen had 14 touchdowns on 108 targets to Jefferson’s seven on 125. Heading into 2021, Jefferson is firmly established as Kirk Cousins’ big-play receiver and likely top dog. Thielen is still solid and should reprise a prominent role, but the depth chart thins considerably after those two, so expect an increase in targets for Jefferson in Year 2.
The Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills for the 22nd pick and used it to select Jefferson, his replacement. Jefferson was a monster at LSU last year with 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns on 111 catches. At 6-1, 202, Jefferson has above average size and good speed (4.43), and his vertical (37.5 inches) and broad jumps (126 inches) were both in the top quartile among his peers. While Jefferson might be ideally suited for the slot - where he dominated at LSU - he'll likely have to play out wide more in Minnesota's two-TE offense. Even in three-wide formations, it could be Adam Thielen rather than Jefferson getting the majority of slot snaps. Either way, the rookie should begin the year as the Vikings' No. 2 target behind Thielen, providing some much-needed downfield playmaking for Kirk Cousins.
More Fantasy News
Extends 1,000-yard season streak
WRMinnesota Vikings
January 4, 2026
Jefferson caught eight of 11 targets for 101 yards in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Packers.
ANALYSIS
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Production lacking again
WRMinnesota Vikings
December 25, 2025
Jefferson caught four of five targets for 30 yards in the Vikings' 23-10 win over the Lions on Christmas Day.
ANALYSIS
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Posts 85 yards in Week 16
WRMinnesota Vikings
December 21, 2025
Jefferson caught six of eight targets for 85 yards in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Giants.
ANALYSIS
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Win doesn't cure cold spell
WRMinnesota Vikings
December 14, 2025
Jefferson was held to two receptions on eight targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Cowboys.
ANALYSIS
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Struggles continue in Week 14
WRMinnesota Vikings
December 7, 2025
Jefferson caught two of four targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 31-0 win over the Commanders.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Joined by new veteran position mate
WRMinnesota Vikings
May 8, 2026
Jefferson is now joined in the Vikings' wide-receiver room by Jauan Jennings, who signed a one-year deal with the team Thursday, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.
ANALYSIS
The six-time 1,000-yard receiver is a threat at all depths of target, but in Jennings, he gains a highly capable mid-range option that has a reputation for handling a lot of the dirty work and making contested catches. Jennings is slated to operate as the No. 3 wideout behind Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and while he'll see his fair share of opportunities in that role, his experience and presence are expected to be a net positive for Jefferson and the offense as a whole.
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