Van Jefferson more confident heading into Year 2

Van Jefferson more confident heading into Year 2

Jun 12, 2021 at 09:00 AM

Stu Jackson
Staff Writer


THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Even the son of a former NFL wide receiver and current NFL wide receivers coach needs time to get adjusted to the next level.

Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson had that benefit growing up – his father, Shawn, played in the league for 13 years and is the Cardinals' wide receivers coach (his 16th overall coaching in the league) – in addition to 45 career games, 175 receptions and 2,159 receiving yards in college before he arrived in Los Angeles. But an offense as complex as Rams head coach Sean McVay's can be an adjustment for any rookie receiver, no matter how polished they are coming out of school.

"If I had to be honest, last year, I was a rookie coming in, I was kind of in my head spinning," Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson said during a video conference Wednesday. "But I think I'm more comfortable. Last year was a lot of learning steps, a lot of things I needed to learn about the offense."

Honing in on the playbook this offseason, Jefferson said he's much more comfortable in the offense heading into his second season.

That growing confidence has manifested itself through his performance during spring practices, including hauling in a couple passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford in 7-on-7 drills during organized team activities sessions open to the media.

"I think (he) does a great job of doubling people up," Stafford said during a video conference Wednesday. "He's a really good separator. Plays big as well. Has enough long speed to get down the field, and has a nice size mismatch on a lot of corners as well."

McVay noticed a difference when the team convened for its offseason program.

"You can see he's really put in the work," McVay said during a June 4 video conference. "He's come back, establishing himself as a legitimate dude, a guy we're counting on for big things."

Full Article
[www.therams.com]