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I recently saw something where PFF was downgrading the Rams, particularly on offense due to the loss of Brandon Cooks. Once again it shows how little they seem to follow what is going on in the NFL. They ignore how many games wholly or partially missed due to injury. The addition of Jefferson elevates the WR corps above what it was with Cooks. Cooks was all about speed, but he also struggled at times with his route running. Van Johnson has breakaway speed, absolutely better in routes than Cooks, and with Jefferson's physical metrics and good hands, the Rams are improved not degraded. It's also why there is no way I see Reynolds starting ahead of Jefferson. To put it into an even stronger perspective I thought I'd post an article talking about how the Ram's new OC is simply raving about the addition of Jefferson.
FROM 24/7 SPORTS:
In a receiver-heavy 2020 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Van Jefferson, using a late-second-round pick on the former Florida Gators star at No. 57 overall. From the front office to the coaching staff, the Rams have been vocal about Jefferson's immediate-impact ability and long-term potential.
Kevin O'Connell became the latest to provide a perspective on Jefferson's upside. Breaking down the Rams' offensive additions from the draft, the first-year offensive coordinator opened up on Jefferson's trajectory.
"There's no secret to our love as a coaching staff for him," O'Connell said of Jefferson. "His ability to run routes and understand the next-level element of running routes and separating at the top, I think he'll fit right in from a personality and a skillset standpoint with the guys we have in that room. The great thing about rooms like that, where there's depth but there's also accountability and guys pushing each other, (is) they're all going to raise their games continually to another level."
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Jefferson caught 49 passes for 657 yards (13.4 average) and six touchdowns over the course of 12 games at UF in 2019. As a fourth-year junior in 2018, his first at Florida, he recorded 35 receptions for 503 yards (14.4 average) and six touchdowns through all 13 games.
Previously at Ole Miss from 2015-17, Jefferson competed alongside receivers A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf, whom the Tennessee Titans (No. 51 overall) and Seattle Seahawks (No. 64 overall) respectively picked in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
With the Rebels, a redshirt-freshman Jefferson was the second-leading receiver with 49 catches. Brown (29) and Metcalf (two) produced less as true freshmen, but they broke out their sophomore and junior seasons from 2017-18.
"Van Jefferson out-produced both of those players while serving on the same roster in 2016 at Ole Miss," said James Gladstone, Rams director of scouting strategy, in a June 20 article on therams.com that traced Jefferson's pre-draft process from Los Angeles' vantage point.
As a third-year sophomore with the Rebels in 2017, Jefferson caught 42 passes for 456 yards (10.8 average) and one touchdown. Jefferson was second on the team in receptions behind Brown, who made 75 catches for 1,252 yards (16.7 average) and 11 touchdowns over the course of 11 games.
Metcalf, meanwhile, caught 39 passes for 646 yards (16.6 average) and seven touchdowns in 12 games. Jefferson finished out his career at Florida from 2018-19, where he recorded 84 receptions for 1,16o yards (13.8 average) and 12 touchdowns in 23 games with the Gators.
A four-star recruit, Jefferson originally went to Ole Miss from Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood. He took his talents to the Rebels initially as the 247Sports Composite's No. 106 overall prospect, No. 11 wide receiver and No. 3 player in Tennessee for the 2015 recruiting class.
“A guy that I think is the Terry McLaurin of this class is Van Jefferson from Florida," said Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL scout Nagy in a pre-draft interview with 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. "Terry went 76th overall last year. If you had a redraft of last year's draft, he would have been a first-round pick. Outside of some of the quarterback play on the team, he could have won rookie of the year. The guy had almost 1,000 yards with some spotty quarterback play.
"Van is similar ... Last year, Terry was our fastest guy in the game. This year it was Van Jefferson. Van's dad coaches in the league, Sean Jefferson former NFL player, really good wide receivers coach. You watch (Van) on tape and he's an awesome route runner. He always gets open. I just thought he was a really crafty player and I didn't give him enough credit for having as much juice as he has. I saw him play live twice, but I didn't feel that speed from the press box like I felt on the field in Mobile (at the Senior Bowl)."
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This is why I've been saying this offense is going to be far better than the 2018 version that dominated in most games. The 3 WRs along with the 2 headed monsters of Akers and Henderson running the ball, now add in the TEs of Higbee and Everett this offense is absolutely loaded. Now, look at the improved defense that IMO will be a top 10 unit and this is a championship-caliber team.
FROM 24/7 SPORTS:
In a receiver-heavy 2020 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Van Jefferson, using a late-second-round pick on the former Florida Gators star at No. 57 overall. From the front office to the coaching staff, the Rams have been vocal about Jefferson's immediate-impact ability and long-term potential.
Kevin O'Connell became the latest to provide a perspective on Jefferson's upside. Breaking down the Rams' offensive additions from the draft, the first-year offensive coordinator opened up on Jefferson's trajectory.
"There's no secret to our love as a coaching staff for him," O'Connell said of Jefferson. "His ability to run routes and understand the next-level element of running routes and separating at the top, I think he'll fit right in from a personality and a skillset standpoint with the guys we have in that room. The great thing about rooms like that, where there's depth but there's also accountability and guys pushing each other, (is) they're all going to raise their games continually to another level."
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Jefferson caught 49 passes for 657 yards (13.4 average) and six touchdowns over the course of 12 games at UF in 2019. As a fourth-year junior in 2018, his first at Florida, he recorded 35 receptions for 503 yards (14.4 average) and six touchdowns through all 13 games.
Previously at Ole Miss from 2015-17, Jefferson competed alongside receivers A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf, whom the Tennessee Titans (No. 51 overall) and Seattle Seahawks (No. 64 overall) respectively picked in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
With the Rebels, a redshirt-freshman Jefferson was the second-leading receiver with 49 catches. Brown (29) and Metcalf (two) produced less as true freshmen, but they broke out their sophomore and junior seasons from 2017-18.
"Van Jefferson out-produced both of those players while serving on the same roster in 2016 at Ole Miss," said James Gladstone, Rams director of scouting strategy, in a June 20 article on therams.com that traced Jefferson's pre-draft process from Los Angeles' vantage point.
As a third-year sophomore with the Rebels in 2017, Jefferson caught 42 passes for 456 yards (10.8 average) and one touchdown. Jefferson was second on the team in receptions behind Brown, who made 75 catches for 1,252 yards (16.7 average) and 11 touchdowns over the course of 11 games.
Metcalf, meanwhile, caught 39 passes for 646 yards (16.6 average) and seven touchdowns in 12 games. Jefferson finished out his career at Florida from 2018-19, where he recorded 84 receptions for 1,16o yards (13.8 average) and 12 touchdowns in 23 games with the Gators.
A four-star recruit, Jefferson originally went to Ole Miss from Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood. He took his talents to the Rebels initially as the 247Sports Composite's No. 106 overall prospect, No. 11 wide receiver and No. 3 player in Tennessee for the 2015 recruiting class.
“A guy that I think is the Terry McLaurin of this class is Van Jefferson from Florida," said Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL scout Nagy in a pre-draft interview with 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. "Terry went 76th overall last year. If you had a redraft of last year's draft, he would have been a first-round pick. Outside of some of the quarterback play on the team, he could have won rookie of the year. The guy had almost 1,000 yards with some spotty quarterback play.
"Van is similar ... Last year, Terry was our fastest guy in the game. This year it was Van Jefferson. Van's dad coaches in the league, Sean Jefferson former NFL player, really good wide receivers coach. You watch (Van) on tape and he's an awesome route runner. He always gets open. I just thought he was a really crafty player and I didn't give him enough credit for having as much juice as he has. I saw him play live twice, but I didn't feel that speed from the press box like I felt on the field in Mobile (at the Senior Bowl)."
*********************************************************************************************************************************************
This is why I've been saying this offense is going to be far better than the 2018 version that dominated in most games. The 3 WRs along with the 2 headed monsters of Akers and Henderson running the ball, now add in the TEs of Higbee and Everett this offense is absolutely loaded. Now, look at the improved defense that IMO will be a top 10 unit and this is a championship-caliber team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66741604/1217687694.jpg.0.jpg "Reese’s Senior Bowl")
