3 reasons why Van Jefferson can lead the LA Rams receivers this year

II: Lookie Lookie who is no longer a rookie

The LA Rams truly seemed to redshirt rookie players in 2020, particularly those who played on the offensive side of the ball. There are plenty of logical reasons to do so, and we can touch base on those in a moment. But the general overall reason is simply that rookies have a lot of new stuff to weave into their lives, and the Rams process allows them to pull playing time into their career when they are ready, not simply shove spoonfuls of snaps into them until they can’t take it anymore.

Los Angeles Rams

Complexity is a relative term. If you’ve no foundation or experience in a task, everything is complex. The more you do something, and the more alike a new process is to the performed tasks, the less complex something becomes. If you have ever learned a foreign language, you may recognize that the first steps focus upon enabling the student to say simple everyday sentences. Phrases like “How are you?” can be mastered quickly, but become the building blocks for more complex sentences and phrases to learn later.

Van Jefferson has graduated from his beginner’s NFL course and is moving on to intermediate. That is huge because he is no longer crawling in this Rams offense. This year, he has his pilot’s license, and will not be cleared to fly down the field. It’s a great setup for the young man because he can play in all three receiver positions. That versatility gives him the ability to step into any spot on the offense. And after a full NFL season, and thanks to the full training camp this year, he will be completely prepared to fulfill any role given to him in the offense.

Jefferson has all of the right stuff to make a lot of noise in this LA Rams offense. He plays with a very similar style to teammates Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp but is just a shade different.  He displayed NFL star potential in the 2020 Reese Senior Bowl, much like Washington receiver Terry McLaurin showcased in the 2019 Reese Senior Bowl.  And yes, we’ve called on him as the potential for 1000+ yards receiving for the past two years. Why would we possibly double down on the same misdirected optimism?