Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson broke a record held by Randy Moss, and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James took notice.
The Minnesota Vikings faced the unenviable task of replacing wide receiver Stefon Diggs after they traded him to the Buffalo Bills. They used the first-round pick they received from Buffalo and used it to select LSU’s Justin Jefferson. The rest was history, literally, after that.
Facing the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving, Jefferson made a huge catch on a deep pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins. In the process, Jefferson passed Vikings legend Randy Moss and current free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for the most receiving yards recorded through three seasons.
Justin Jefferson breaks NFL record for receiving yards through three seasons
Jefferson had viewers of the primetime Thanksgiving game in awe, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who said the receiver “is ridiculous out there.”
In the first half, Jefferson received seven targets from Cousins. He turned those looks into six receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Jefferson made an immediate impact upon arriving in Minnesota, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns on 125 targets. Despite those numbers, he missed out on Offensive Rookie of the Year, losing to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Last year, Jefferson surpassed his rookie season statistics, posting 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Entering the Thanksgiving game, Jefferson already had 1,093 receiving yards and four touchdowns to his credit.
Jefferson has shown numerous times throughout his young career that he’s one of the best receivers in the game. He backed that up in the national spotlight by breaking an impressive record.