Every NFL Team's Best-Kept Secret for 2022
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bleacherreport.com]
Los Angeles Rams: WR Van Jefferson
When folks talk about the wide receiver corps for the Los Angeles Rams, the conversation usually starts with superstar Cooper Kupp. Then it moves to the newly acquired Allen Robinson II. Or even to the question of whether or not the team will bring back Odell Beckham Jr.
That's all well and good. But Justin Melo of The Draft Network thinks a bigger percentage of the conversation should center on third-year-pro Van Jefferson:
"Jefferson is an underrated receiver that’s fully capable of producing a 1,000-yard campaign. The Brentwood, Tennessee native is a slippery and smooth route runner that can effectively work the intermediate and deep areas. Snead and McVay have routinely made splashes since taking charge of the Rams and may prefer to pair Kupp and Robinson with Beckham as they attempt to secure back-to-back Super Bowl victories. Much remains undecided, but Jefferson possesses every trait necessary to experience a successful campaign in 2022."
Jefferson has already shown he can make a dent in the stat sheet—after making just 19 catches as a rookie, he posted a 50/802/6 stat line on 89 targets in 2021. Jefferson's eight targets in Super Bowl LVI trailed only Kupp among Rams players.
Given all the single coverage Jefferson's going to see playing with Robinson and Kupp in 2022, it won't take that big a bump in target share for that 1,000-yard season Melo mentioned to become a distinct possibility.
