 celebrates his touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jjetscelb.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=657,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jjetscelb.jpg”><figcaption><span>Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Depending on the polling audience, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase might’ve passed Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson in the court of public opinion.</p>
<h2>Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson received some love this week in 2025 WR rankings.</h2>
<p>Chase terrorized the league in 2024, logging 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns and winning folks’ fantasy football championships along the way. Entering 2025, Chase and Jefferson can be considered co-headliners for the “best wide receiver in the NFL” title.</p>
<p>But notably, <em>Sportsnaut</em> came along last weekend with wide receiver rankings for 2025, and Jefferson took home the top spot.</p>
<h3>Sportsnaut Calls Justin Jefferson the Top Dog</h3>
<p>Matt Johnson of <em>Sportsnaut</em> delivered summer WR rankings about 2.5 months before the regular season, and somewhat surprisingly, Jefferson earned the top spot.</p>
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Johnson defended the choice: “Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL and he’s on a trajectory to be one of the best receivers ever. The Minnesota Vikings’ sensation enters 2025 with the NFL record for receiving yards per game (96.5).”
“Putting that into greater perspective, the next closest player (Ja’Marr Chase) is at 87.5 receiving yards per game. Even with Jefferson only playing 10 games in 2023, he has the NFL record for most receiving yards through five seasons (7,432). The second-closest player, Torry Holt, had 6,784 receiving yards in 80 games.”
Along with Sam Darnold at quarterback, Jefferson’s Vikings cruised to an unforeseen 14-3 record last year before crumbling in the postseason.
Johnson added, “We should all wait another decade before calling him one of the best receivers ever, but he’s certainly the best wide receiver in the NFL right now. Justin Jefferson stats (2024): 103 receptions, 1,533 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, 14.9 yards per reception, 62 first downs, 90.2 receiving yards per game, 10.0 yards per target.”
Justin Jefferson to Receive Third QB1 in Three Years
From 2020 to 2023, Jefferson mostly experienced continuity with Kirk Cousins throwing him the ball on Sundays (injuries changed that dynamic for part of 2023). That fully changed in the 2024 offseason when Cousins dipped for the Atlanta Falcons, while Minnesota signed Darnold and drafted J.J. McCarthy.
 looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/USATSI_19796928.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=787,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/USATSI_19796928.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/USATSI_19796928.jpg” alt=”Writer Claims Justin”><figcaption>Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Just like Cousins, Darnold left the Vikings this offseason, chasing a three-year contract worth $100.5 million with the Seattle Seahawks. Cousins and Darnold are gone and not coming back, so Jefferson will pair with McCarthy this season for the first time. </p>
<h3>Breakneck Pace</h3>
<p>Since turning pro in 2020, Jefferson has shattered the NFL’s receiving yard record book, at least per “xxx yards through xxx seasons” and “xxx yards through age xxx.” Jefferson owns all those records.</p>
<p>Some other notable examples of Jefferson’s dominance:</p>
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Most receiving yards in a WR’s first:
5 seasons – Justin Jefferson
4 seasons – Justin Jefferson
3 seasons – Justin Jefferson
2 seasons – Justin Jefferson
LeBron type numbers. pic.twitter.com/OrENJg7KdA
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 9, 2025
And this one:
Over the last 2 seasons, #Vikings WR Justin Jefferson averages 96.6 receiving yards per game, which is the most in the NFL.
He’s had 5 different QB’s during this span 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0ZtoZDjnzm
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) June 9, 2025
One more:
Most 25+ Yard Receptions,
Since 2020:1. Justin Jefferson = 84
2. Tyreek Hill = 63
3. Davante Adams = 60
4. CeeDee Lamb = 59
5. D.J. Moore = 58— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) February 8, 2025
In Minnesota for the Long Haul
Meanwhile, Jefferson won’t leave the Twin Cities anytime soon. He signed a groundbreaking extension last summer worth $140 million over four years, attaching him to Minnesota’s books through the end of the 2028 campaign.
 looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/leakjeff.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=647,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/leakjeff.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/leakjeff.jpg” alt=”Justin Jefferson”><figcaption>Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Conveniently, that end date directly aligns with McCarthy’s rookie contract, so Minnesota can assess in four years if the duo deserves extended run. Folks will obviously hope for a prolonged stay by Jefferson and McCarthy. It will have meant that the duo clicked.</p>
<h3>Ja’Marr Chase, A.J. Brown Follow Jefferson</h3>
<p>Johnson named Chase the league’s second-best wideout and noted, “The Cincinnati Bengals made wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase one of the highest-paid NFL players ever and for good reason. Chase ranks second among career leaders in receiving yards per game (87.5), performing even better than Calvin Johnson (86.1) and Antonio Brown (84.3). The reigning first-team All-Pro selection is also coming off a season where he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.”</p>
<p>“We’ve even seen Chase produce elite numbers – 100 receptions and 1,216 receiving yards in 2023 – in seasons where Joe Burrow missed seven-plus games. Coming off a campaign where he led the NFL in yards after catch (787) and placed fourth in yards per team pass attempt (2.62), Chase has consistently proven he’s in the cream of the crop.”</p>
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A.J. Brown at No. 3: “Philadelphia Eagles’ All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown is putting together a Hall of Fame-caliber resume. With a Super Bowl ring now in his trophy Case, Brown boasts three Pro Bowl selections with three consecutive second-team All-Pro selections. Brown has shown his ‘Inner Excellence’ since being traded to Philadelphia, averaging over 1,300 receiving yards per season with 25 touchdowns in 47 games played.”
“While he doesn’t see the volume on a run-heavy team that some of the other best NFL wide receivers do, Brown’s track record and what he forces defenses to do make up for it.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions, No. 4) and Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams, No. 5) rounded out Sportsnaut‘s top five.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily … More about Dustin Baker
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