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The season has yet to begin but the trash talking won’t wait for Minnesota Vikings rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Speaking with The Zach Gelb Show, Jefferson said, “Every single person that picked a receiver instead of me are going to pay. I’m going to show them that I am the better receiver than the pick that they had. . . . I’m definitely excited to go into Minnesota and [compete] for [a] Super Bowl.”
Big words for Jefferson, but he feels he has the talent to back it up and the numbers agree with him. At LSU, he had 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a very prominent piece in their national championship season.
With those numbers, falling to number 22 was definitely a surprise to Jefferson. “I felt like I was the best receiver in this draft class, and being the fifth receiver off the board, it kind of was a shocker. But also having that on my shoulder going into this next season with Minnesota, I’m definitely excited to show the world what I have.”
Jefferson was considered one of the “most pro-ready wide receivers in this year’s class.” So it’ll be interesting to see him jump head first in to his role. And if you think he’s worried about the big shoes he’s filling (Stefon Diggs), he’s not.
“I never really was afraid of pressure. I never really was trying to avoid pressure. Pressure busts pipes. So in order to control everything, you just kind of got to be your own. You got to go in this time, this zone, that you have to be in, having to work out by yourself. You kind of have to be in right now. I’m just putting in the time and the effort and just doing all these workouts, just trying to stay in shape and just trying to go into Minnesota with my mind focused on what I have to accomplish.”
Justin will get the chance to prove his point and make at least one of the receivers who was picked before him pay. Jefferson and the Vikings will play CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys this season.