The Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was put to the biggest test of that trend with Justin Jefferson, since there is mounting evidence that the wide receiver position has the most influence on an NFL game aside from quarterback.
Through his first four seasons, the 25-year-old superstar wide receiver had amassed the most receiving yards of any player in league history, establishing a strong case to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league in addition to being the highest-paid receiver.
However, with the amount of skill and preparedness prospects are displaying right now, top-end receivers are becoming more and more common after college. Seven wide receivers were selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, which is a record. There have been 28 receivers selected in the first round since 2020. In the preceding decade, thirty-four were picked in the first round.
Seven first-round receivers picked since 2020 who have participated in a complete season of league play have appeared in Pro Bowls, while fourteen have finished with a season of 1,000 yards or more.
One might argue that Jefferson doesn’t need a premium deal given the effect freshmen receivers are making straight out of college. When the Vikings traded for Stefon Diggs the same year they extended Kirk Cousins and selected Jefferson with that pick, they were ahead of the curve.
Adofo-Mensah knows exactly how much it will cost to sign Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million deal on June 3, but he also knows that superstar talent is uncommon in free agency and is necessary to establish a competitive team.
Adofo-Mensah offered his evaluation of Jefferson’s megadeal, asking, “Would I rather have a quarterback at this level, a wide receiver at this level, or a rusher at this level?” The Star Tribune reported. “But ultimately, there’s a certain level of talent that it requires, studying teams that have advanced to the NFC Championship [Game], AFC Championship [Game], and Super Bowl level.”
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