The Los Angeles Rams were able to bring in some potential depth in the receiving corps by taking Van Jefferson in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Rams were dealt a critical blow after trading wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans in an effort to shore up some much-needed cap space. Although they are confident in wide receiver Josh Reynolds‘ ability to serve as a viable replacement, they opted to use the extra second-round pick on Jefferson. Unfortunately, the restrictions placed by the league in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have prevented the rookies from getting acquainted with their new teams.
According to Stu Jackson of the team’s official website, Jefferson is admittedly anxious to get to work:
“Just waiting on that call, it was amazing that I got the call today from the Rams,” Jefferson said on a video conference Friday night. “I’m excited to come to the offices, learn from the guys that are there, get under a veteran’s wing and learn the offense as quick as I can.”
Jefferson added that he is confident that his skill set will fit in well with the Rams’ offense:
“It instantly clicked in my head, ‘man, that offense goes,'” Jefferson said. “I know going in, I’m going to be able to catch balls from Jared Goff and play alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. It’s just a great opportunity, a great situation I’m going into, so I’m excited about it.”
Jefferson’ established himself as one of the best route-runners in this deep receiver class. His pedigree as the son of former NFL wide receiver and current New York Jets receiver coach Shawn Jefferson certainly helps to solidify this notion.
While head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead are optimistic that Reynolds can emerge as Cooks’ successor on the outside, he may very well have some competition coming from Jefferson. After all, they each boast similar skill sets as potential deep threats for quarterback Jared Goff in the passing game.
Jefferson’s bread and butter may come in his route tree, however, it was also revealed that he could very well have been one of the fastest players in college football after clocking the second-quickest time of 21.05 miles per hour during Senior Bowl practices in January, via Zebra Technology. If his blazing speed can be put on display with the Rams, he may very well prove to be quite the steal in the 2020 NFL season.
