SI

Rams Select Van Jefferson with No. 57 Pick in NFL Draft

Rams draft Van Jefferson, a terrific route runner who can add much to the Rams offense

SI Staff

The Los Angeles Rams selected WR Van Jefferson with the No. 57 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Raised in Tennessee, Jefferson was a wide receiver standout at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, TN. He caught the attention of scouts after posting 2,484 and 27 touchdowns during his final two seasons with the Raptors. His father, Shawn Jefferson, played 195 NFL games, including Super Bowl XXIX with the Chargers and Super Bowl XXXI with the Patriots. After initially committing to Georgia, Jefferson signed with Ole Miss instead.

Jefferson played two seasons for Ole Miss, posting 543 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman and 456 yards with one score as a sophomore. He then transferred to Florida where he had 503 yards and six TD as a junior and 657 yards and six scores as a senior.

During 2020 Senior Bowl practices in January, Jefferson produced a top speed of 21.05 miles per hour, which was the fastest of any player. The three highest following Jefferson were Texas WR Devin Duvernay (20.90 MPH), Baylor WR Denzel Mims (20.26 MPH) and Memphis hybrid RB/WR Antonio Gibson at 20.15 MPH. That was a lasting memory for scouts as Jefferson sat out the NFL Scouting Combine with a foot injury.

Heading into the NFL, Jefferson (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) gets high marks in his route running and for understanding how to create space out of his breaks. However, he does not have the speed or explosiveness to be trusted as a consistent deep outside threat. His best value will come working over the short areas of the field as a Julian Edelman type receiver out of the slot.

Jefferson will make plays in tight coverage, but his lack of top-end speed does allow defenders to sit on some of his moves. While there are certain areas that will need improvement, Jefferson was one of the “safer” wide receiver prospects in the 2020 draft class and will likely have an extended NFL career.

2019 stats (Senior; Florida): 657 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns (12 games)

2018 stats (Junior; Florida): 503 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns (11 games)

2017 stats (Sophomore; Ole Miss): 456 receiving yards, 1 touchdown (10 games)

2016 stats (Freshman; Ole Miss): 543 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns (12 games)

Stick with SI.com throughout the weekend for in-depth coverage of the 2020 NFL Draft, including the impact of prominent rookies joining new teams, team-by-team breakdowns, fantasy football and gambling reactions, draft grades and so much more.

NFL Draft Exclusives: Sign up for Sports Illustrated’s newsletters and get the latest NFL Draft coverage, analysis and highlights - delivered right to your inbox.

Latest NFL Draft Coverage from Sports Illustrated

Published
SI Staff
SI STAFF

Home/NFL