LA Rams WR Van Jefferson brings a mixed bag to the NFL

Why LA Rams new WR Van Jefferson brings a mixed bag to the NFL, and to Rams coaching staff

With the 57th overall pick, the Los Angeles Rams have selected Florida Gators wide receiver, Van Jefferson. The Rams fill a need in replacing speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and do so with the very pick obtained in trading him away to the Houston Texans. Jefferson is an interesting pick because he was often compared to two NFL wide receivers. One comparison was to Tenessee Titans wide receiver Adam Humphries and the other was to LA Rams wide receiver, Cooper Kupp.

Jefferson is more on the smaller side at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. With his selection at 57,  the Rams appear to be reloading the offense by adding new weapons and faces. Some positives of Jefferson’s game are his smooth route-running which he uses to gain separation. He also has a full route tree making it hard for corners to predict what route he is going to run. Jefferson has reliable hands and is not known for dropping balls.

While a good spot on him for the offenses would be at the slot receiver position, the Rams will need to work through who plays where. Right now, his gameplay is very similar to Kupp. Will the Rams ease him into the offense as Kupp’s backup?  If so, what type of message does that send your leading receiver in his contract year?

However, there are some negatives that come with Jefferson as well. He had limited production in college, averaging just 540 yards per season over four years. He also isn’t the fastest receiver and did not participate in the 40-yard dash due to a foot injury discovered at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. His body size is such that he is limited in his ability to body out defenders from making a play on the ball. He averaged 12.45 yards per catch, a nice stat which should alleviate some worries.

With Jefferson, it’s clear the Rams are going to rely on precision and scheme rather than pure talent or blazing speed. With no new speedy deep threat, it’s interesting to see how McVay will repurpose the offense to fit the new personnel if he decides to do so. Of course, WR Josh Reynolds is in that mix, and the Rams coaching staff must be quite confident in him to waive off any speedy competition at wide receiver. Some changes that could happen because of this could mean that the Rams position Cooper Kupp primarily as an outside receiver rather than stay in the slot.

Welcome to the Family Van Jefferson. Now the Rams must sort out how to make optimal use of your talents on the offense.