With the No. 21 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Eagles were faced with what was then a tough decision: TCU’s Jalen Reagor or LSU’s Justin Jefferson. Taking the former, the Philadelphia franchise left the door wide open for the Minnesota Vikings to select the soon-to-be star NFL receiver at No. 22.
While the Eagles are likely kicking themselves for this decision, Jefferson seems as happy as can be.
In a recent interview with GQ, the Vikings’ star revealed that, like many others, he believed he would be heading to Philly in 2020. Jefferson clearly wasn’t too devastated when GM Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office decided to pass on him at No. 21.
“Leading up to the draft, you know, they had all of those mock drafts and people sharing their opinions on who is going to go where,” Jefferson said. “A lot of people had me going to Philly. And, I thought I was going to Philly. Honestly. The funny part is, Philly was on the board and then Minnesota called me. At first, I thought it was Philly. But, I answered the phone and it was Minnesota. It’s crazy how all of that happened and everything. But, I’m definitely, definitely, definitely excited that I’m on the Vikings rather than Philly.”
Minnesota fans are no doubt excited as well.
In his first season with the Vikings, Jefferson led the team and all NFL rookie receivers with 1,400 yards — reeling in a team-high 88 receptions and seven touchdowns on 15.9 yards per catch. These outstanding debut numbers earned him a Pro Bowl selection.
Through 11 games in his rookie season with the Eagles, Reagor posted significantly lower statistics. His 396 yards and one touchdown don’t hold a candle to the numbers put up by his first-round counterpart.
With the 2021 NFL Draft looming next week, teams will be faced with similarly tough decisions very soon.
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