2020 NFL Draft: Why LSU's Justin Jefferson may be the best slot receiver in the class

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By now, you have probably already heard that the 2020 wide receiver draft class is deep with talented pass-catchers and playmakers. Whatever you need, this group has it. So, if you are looking for the best slot receiver in the group, look no further than LSU’s Justin Jefferson.

Justin Jefferson ran 575 of his 583 total routes from the slot a season ago with LSU. His production was second to none, as he led the nation with 109 slot receptions and 1,518 slot receiving yards.

Averaging an impressive 2.64 yards per slot route run — 12th in the class — Jefferson also displayed his toughness with a second-ranked 24 missed tackles forced from the slot and a national-best 37 explosive plays of 15 or more yards from the inside.

He ended the 2019 campaign with a career-high PFF receiving grade of 86.7 in 2019, 14th among the 130 draft-eligible FBS receivers who saw at least 50 targets. He also recorded a contested-catch rate of 92.3% that ranked first among the 98 draft-eligible pass-catchers who saw at least 10 contested targets.

Much unlike college football, NFL defenses will disguise their pre-snap alignment before rotating into a more complex look during the post-snap phase of the play. So, it’s imperative that NFL wide receivers can accurately read coverages and make proper adjustments during the post-snap phase. And after playing in Brady’s pro-style system at LSU, Jefferson has the experience and will be ready to perform in the slot against more complex coverage schemes.

The early names to come off the board will undoubtedly be Jeudy, Lamb and Ruggs. Still, after the top three receivers have been chosen, I believe that it would be hard for teams to look at the production and talents of Justin Jefferson without making him the fourth receiver to hear his name called by Roger Goodell.

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