Why a Lost 2023 Season Could the Best Thing to Happen to Justin Jefferson and the Vikings

A rough 2023 could be a gift for Minnesota and their star receiver if they can start their rebuild with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Despite winning 13 games last year, the Minnesota Vikings took the puzzling path of jettisoning some of their best players this offseason, offloading respected veteran leaders like Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, Adam Thielen and Za'Darius Smith. 

The results have been fairly predictable, as the Vikings currently own a 1-4 record heading into Week 6, placing them among the worst teams in the league a third of the way through the regular season.

To make matters worse, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson just landed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, and it's unclear whether or not he'll need more than the minimum four weeks before he's able to return.

Minnesota is clearly headed for a much-needed rebuild, one that needs to come with a changing of the guard at quarterback, as Kirk Cousins' current contract is set to expire after the 2023 season.

Justin Jefferson is likely to be catching passes from someone other than Kirk Cousins next season / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

That being the case, this year might prove to be the perfect time for the Vikings to be one of the worst teams in the league, as it will give them a chance at landing a generational quarterback prospect at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft.

USC's Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and consensus favorite to be next year's No. 1 overall pick, is the kind of quarterback prospect worthy of a legitimate tanking effort from any team that needs a new franchise quarterback. 

The Vikings are clearly in that group, and they're off to a strong start in their pursuit of that top pick. 

They've got plenty of competition, though. They're one of seven teams that currently have just one win or less to their credit so far this season, and many of those teams either need a new quarterback just as badly, or would be willing to replace the one they have with Williams, should they land that No. 1 selection.

Caleb Williams is the consensus No. 1 pick for next year's NFL Draft / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Jefferson has yet to sign a long-term contract extension to remain in Minnesota, and considering the team's paltry start, it's hard to imagine him wanting to push himself to return and potentially aggravate his hamstring injury for a team that's comfortably nestled in the NFL basement. 

Should the Vikings end up in that No. 1 spot at the end of the year, a fully healthy Jefferson coming back to catch passes from Williams would be a fantastic way to start the rebuilding process, and also make it more likely that Jefferson would want to sign a long-term extension to remain in Minnesota.

It would also give the Vikings a potential superstar at the game's most important position, on a rookie contract for the next four years (with a fifth-year option), giving them more salary cap space with which to rebuild the rest of the roster.

After last year's regular-season success, watching the Vikings limp to a league-worst record in 2023 will be hard for Minnesota fans to watch. But it might also be exactly what they need to finally build a championship team.