His typical production eluded him in 2025, but Justin Jefferson persisted in his historical ascent.
From beginning to end, "Jets" overcame an uneven offense to imprint his name in the record books.
See: Week 2 when he tied 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame selection and one-time Vikings ball boy Larry Fitzgerald as the youngest player to reach 500 career receptions (26 years and 90 days old). Also see: Week 18 when he got loose for 101 yards — his only 100-yard game in North America this past season — to ensure his sixth consecutive campaign beyond the quadruple-digit yardage threshold; he joined Mike Evans and Randy Moss as the lone NFL players with that many performances in a row to launch a career.
Jefferson's 1,048 receiving yards and two touchdowns don't measure up to his phenomenal standard, but they do confirm his inevitable greatness when accounting for the circumstances he pushed through.
A carousel of starting quarterbacks (J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer) and deficiencies from all three in stretching the field (the team's longest TD pass in 2025 was 32 yards from running back Cam Akers to tight end Josh Oliver) contributed. And yet, Jefferson remained a top player in the league.
Pro Football Focus on Tuesday rated him as the 92nd best player based upon his 2025.
As part of the PFF 101, which highlights the greatest individual performers through the prism that "all positions are created equal," the analytics website explained Jefferson's inclusion, despite finishing with his fewest receiving yards in a season, was warranted. The evaluators cited Jefferson's 80.5 PFF grade, which ranked 16th among all wide receivers in 2025, as well as his No. 6 score versus zone defense (87.8).
Jefferson entered the chat, so to speak, after Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (No. 91) and ahead of a couple of Super Bowl LX Champion Seahawks, in old friend Sam Darnold and edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. The bottom of the list was completed with Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez (No. 95), Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, Saints WR Chris Olave, Ravens RB Derrick Henry, Chargers QB Justin Herbert, Chiefs DL Chris Jones and Seahawks S Julian Love. Almost half the list — players Nos. 61-101 — was revealed here.
PFF plans to roll out the remainder of its Top 101 players across this week, saving Friday for the 20 finest.
For what it's worth, Davante Adams of the Rams is the only WR mentioned so far ahead of Jefferson. Adams nabbed the most receiving touchdowns (15) plus an 84.8 PFF grade, good for a No. 89 ranking.
Three other players hailing from the "Black and Blue" division were named in Tuesday's article: Bears rookie TE Colston Loveland (No. 61), Bears tackle Darnell Wright (62) and Packers S Xavier McKinney (66).
A different kind of Top 100
Twelve months ago — shoot, six months ago! — any hierarchical player list without Jefferson in the Top 10 would be null and void as soon as it was published. That's not hyperbole, just an honest assessment.
And so it's natural to wonder where Jefferson stands in the eyes of others after barely cracking the PFF 101 for instance. In other words, how much of a hit did his future stock take and what's his new outlook?
Jefferson is on the cusp of the Top 10 for 2026 player projections, according to Sports Illustrated.
Gilberto Manzano of SI recently unveiled his Top 100 ranking for next season, and he nestled "Jets" into the No. 14 spot with voting help from some of his colleagues at Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB).
Manzano wrote the following:
Voters didn't seem too concerned about the Vikings quarterback issues after McCarthy struggled with durability and improvement. Still, it's difficult to not view Jefferson as a top 20 player because of his elite skill set. Even in a down season, Jefferson produced his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Expect the Vikings to correct their mistakes and make the obvious decision to give Jefferson the ball more in 2026.
Jefferson collected 51 points from voters (who combined heads to decide the Top 20), which was slightly more than 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, who celebrated his 38th birthday 10 days ago, and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. In order, Packers edge Micah Parsons, Patriots QB Drake Maye, Cardinals TE Trey McBride and Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs followed them as vote-getters and Top 20 choices for 2026.
Curious about who else checks in around Jefferson?
Baltimore's do-it-all defender Kyle Hamilton edged him with 52 votes, and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned 53. Surtain is knocking at the door at No. 11 with an eight-vote advantage over the Vikings star, and Patrick Mahomes is seen as the 10th best for 2026 courtesy 64 votes.
Keep in mind, Manzano's exercise balances players entrenched in their primes with players he believes are due to break out. It's "what have you done for me lately?" against "what might you do for me soon?"
Though Jefferson is the single Vikings player identified by Manzano, he's not alone in guys to be excited for as the offseason continues. Minnesota has tremendous upside — Top 100 potential — in proven and improving players, such as Christian Darrisaw, Jonathan Greenard, Brian O'Neill and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Explore Manzano's three-part series here: Nos. 100-51; 50-11; and 10-1.
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