Given the impact the young receiver has made on the NFL since Minnesota selected him with the 22nd overall pick in 2020, it can be difficult to remember he is still only a rookie.
Because of his impressive resume, Jefferson recently topped CBS Sports’ ranking of the “Top NFL Players 25 and Under.” Written by Cody Benjamin:
Despite missing over forty percent of the 2023 season, the “Jets” managed to surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the fourth consecutive year. He’s still one of the hardest wide receivers in football to cover, if not the hardest, and his easy burst can transform even routine plays into long balls. In less than five years as an NFL player, Jefferson has established himself as the undisputed face of the Vikings and is headed for the Hall of Fame.
Benjamin’s list of 25 under 25 had a stunning nine receivers, two of whom were in the top five. Ja’Marr Chase, Jefferson’s LSU teammate, was ranked third.
He may not have had the same impact on his grades in 2022 and 2023 due to quarterback concerns and injuries, but if any wide receiver can match Justin Jefferson’s pure big-play flair, it’s likely his old LSU colleague. His game-breaking speed was demonstrated in his 1,455-yard debut as Joe Burrow’s No. 1.
According to Benjamin’s rankings, Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons was ranked No. 2, followed by Lions lineman Penei Sewell and Jets corner Sauce Gardner, who were ranked Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
The former first-round pick, who is among the NFL’s most underappreciated big men, has missed several games every season due to injuries. But when fit, he’s been an excellent pass blocker who helped set the stage for 2022–2023 performances that were among the best under [Head Coach] Kevin O’Connell.
With five players, the division foe Lions had the highest number on Benjamin’s list. Detroit also selected defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, tight end Sam LaPorta, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs at Nos. 22, 24, and 25, respectively, in addition to Sewell and St. Brown.
Benjamin stated that Gibbs’ “juice as a change-of-pace dual threat gives the already-balanced Lions a home-run threat out of the backfield.”
In 1983, he accepted his first NFL coaching position as the linebackers coach for the Packers. Two seasons later, in 1986, he joined the Vikings in the same role. After serving as the defensive coordinator for the Vikings in 1991, Kiffin rejoined the organization in 1990 and coached linebackers for the Jets. He stayed with the franchise for three more seasons until switching back to linebackers coach in 1992–1994.
As Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator from 1996 until 2008, Kiffin assisted in leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl XXXVII win in January 2003.
Kiffin, Bill McPherson, and Lionel Taylor are the three former assistant coaches that have been selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame to receive the 2024 Awards of Excellence. Below are the other honorees:
Bill Tessendorf, Dean Kleinschmidt, and Steve Antonopulos are the athletic trainers.
Don Hewitt, Richard “Dick” Romanski, and Bill Hampton, Sr. were in charge of the equipment.
Directors of films and videos: Dave Levy, Bob McCartney, and Tom Atcheson.
Frank Ramos, Harvey Greene, and Dan Edwards are the directors of public relations.
Today in Canton, the Hall of Fame will honor the 15 recipients of the Awards of Excellence with a luncheon hosted by Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.
In 2022, Fred Zamberletti, the first athletic trainer for the Vikings, received posthumous recognition; in 2023, former Vikings aides Sherman Lewis and Tom Moore received the same honor.
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