Report: Justin Jefferson, Vikings Agree to 4-Year, $13.12M Rookie Contract

The Minnesota Vikings and rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson reportedly agreed to a four-year, $13.12 million contract on Wednesday. 

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported the news and noted the deal includes a $7.1 million signing bonus. The contract is fully guaranteed, per ESPN's Field Yates.

The LSU product was the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft after a fantastic 2019 season that saw him catch 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. Having No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow throwing to him—and being a part of the best offense in college football—certainly helped fatten those numbers.

Still, putting up that type of production in the tough competition the SEC has to offer made him a lock to be a first-round pick. And with the Vikings trading Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills this offseason, improving at wide receiver was a major need. 

Jefferson filled that void and was good value at No. 22. He'll have the chance to be Kirk Cousins' No. 2 option in the pass game immediately behind star wideout Adam Thielen. 

The question is what role precisely he'll play for the Vikings. While he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, he generally didn't play that fast, instead excelling as an intermediate possession receiver with plenty of space to exploit over the middle given LSU's other wideouts stretching the field.

That could mean his ideal role is as a slot receiver at the next level, though Thielen has often been Cousins' preferred option in the intermediate game out of the slot.

Jefferson isn't worried about the fit, however.

"A lot of people say I'm only a slot receiver or a lot of those things but a lot of people don't realize that I played my whole career out on the side," he told reporters in May. "I'm a diverse receiver who can go wherever on the field."

Whereas the speedy Diggs was the perfect complement to Thielen, it remains to be seen if Jefferson can thrive playing as an outside receiver and stretch the field for the Vikings. If he can, he has the chance to put up huge numbers as a rookie in Minnesota's offense. 

If he can't, the Vikings could have too much overlap in the skill set of Thielen and Jefferson to best optimize either player.