There are hot takes, and then there’s what ESPN’s Ryan Clark said about Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
When talking about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, Clark said that wide receiver George Pickens was “much more talented” than Jefferson.
“George Pickens is much more talented than Justin Jefferson. Justin Jefferson understands everything about playing the position, stems, leverage, he can catch the football … He’s a savant,” Clark said. “But here’s the other thing, [Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin] told me something that I thought was great. He said, ‘[Georgia] didn’t even work to tolerate him, and they certainly didn’t try to raise him.'”
Yes, you read that right.
There’s no easier way to put this than by saying that Clark is wrong.
While Pickens impressed during his rookie season, he still finished 1,000 yards shy of Jefferson, who led the NFL in receiving with 1,809 yards on 128 receptions.
Pickens, who finished with 801 on 52 catches, would’ve needed an additional 22 games to finish with more receiving yards than Jefferson.
While the argument could be made that Jefferson was in his third season last year, he still finished with 599 more yards than Pickens as a rookie and only had 36 more receptions to his name.
That also doesn’t include Jefferson’s resume, which includes three Pro Bowls, an All-Pro nomination, and an offensive player of the year. Jefferson also finished second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, while Pickens did not receive a vote last season.
Pickens is an incredibly talented wide receiver and entered the college football ranks with a pedigree of being a top-ranked player in the 2019 class, but it will take a lot for him to reach the same level as the league’s best.
