San Francisco 49ers Kept an Eye on Vikings’ Justin Jefferson During NFL Draft; Do They Regret Not Getting Him?

With just half of a season, Justin Jefferson has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. The 22-year-old wide receiver had an amazing rookie year last season. He has continued his success this season as well. 

He was 22 overall pick in the NFL draft of the year 2020. 

Justin Jefferson with the Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers Justin Jefferson for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk was the Number 25 first-round draft pick. Jefferson and Aiyuk both had amazing rookie years, but Aiyuk did not come close to Jefferson’s game this season. Justin Jefferson had improved from his performance last year. The 22-year-old caught 88 passes for around 1,400 yards last year. He made seven touchdowns. A totally impressive rookie record.

This season, he is still playing at an elite level. He has caught 63 passes for 944 yards and bagged six touchdowns. All this has been done in just 10 games. He still has seven more to go. With almost half of the season at his disposal, Jefferson is sure to surpass his rookie year. 

Jefferson and the 49ers meet again

On Sunday, November 28th, Minnesota Vikings will face up against the San Francisco 49era. During this match, Justin has an opportunity to show his former coach and team what they missed out on.

“We looked at him real close,” said the head coach of the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan. “We looked at all those receivers real close. And we were huge fans, and I think he’s one of the best receivers in the league, if not the best. So, I think he’s been unbelievable. I love his style of play. He reminds me a ton of Emmanuel Sanders back in the day. But he’s a hell of a player.” During the press conference on Wednesday, Jefferson’s former boss praised him a lot. 

It seems like the 49ers might not want to admit it, but they certainly do regret letting Jefferson go. At the time, the trade for Aiyuk looked fair, but it did not live to their expectations. If Jefferson still played for San Francisco’s offense, it would have been a different story. This will forever remain one of the biggest What if? Questions in the NFL. 

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