Draft Profile: Van Jefferson
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 197lb
- College: Florida
- Tape watched: Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Missouri
- NFL Comparison: Keenan Allen
Pros
- Route Running
A complete assassin with his footwork and lateral agility, Van Jefferson shines with his route running. Jefferson loses no speed through his route breaks and creates great separation as a result. He excels at sinking his hips and exploding back to the quarterback on hitches and comeback routes. A coaching clinic could be made just based on his drills in Mobile for the Senior Bowl.
- Release
Van Jefferson moved around a lot in Florida’s offense in 2019. Part of that reason is his versatility in press coverage. Jefferson offers elite footwork and an ability to keep his center-of-mass away from corners. He has a bad habit with false-steps, but it hasn’t been an issue to this point in his career and he masks it well.
- Combat Catches
Van Jefferson made several hard-nosed plays at Florida. One of his greatest strengths in his route tree are slants, and as a result, he finds himself in a lot of contested catch situations. Jefferson also excels at adjusting to footballs and his positioning to make catches.
Defensive pressure doesn’t bother Jefferson, whether it is receiving a big hit, or making a catch with a defender hanging onto him.
- Blocking
Van Jefferson stood out with his ability to stalk-block and maintain his ground in the run game. He shows attentiveness, great technique, and a willingness while blocking.
Cons
- Speed
Really the only glaring weakness in Van Jefferson’s game is his ability to open up defenses with his speed. He will struggle at the next level to separate down field with NFL corners. Plenty of receivers with his skill-set have overcome the lack of true speed, however. - YAC
Jefferson doesn’t create much in terms of play-making after the catch. With a lack of game-changing speed and physicality with the football, he will rely on the separation he creates for most of his yardage. - Hands
Jefferson had no drops in the games scouted above, however he catches most of his balls with his body. He looks much more comfortable with basket-catches and trapping the ball with his chest. When the time came to make a big catch with his hands, he made the play though.
Overview
Van Jefferson is one of the most polished, NFL-ready prospects in the draft. Whatever athletic limitations he may have, Jefferson makes up with his ability to do everything else at a high level. His immediate impact will probably come at the slot position, but the talent to play outside is evident. Van Jefferson can make an impact in the right offense during his first year in the league.
