The Los Angeles Rams are going to need other players not named Cooper Kupp to produce on offense this season, and some expect another wideout to step up. In an article discussing an X-Factor for each team in the NFL, The 33rd Team’s Andy Benoit mentioned Van Jefferson as the Rams’ X-Factor entering the 2023 season.
After just one season with Allen Robinson operating alongside Kupp, the Rams traded the veteran wideout to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason. There were small flashes with Robinson in the offense, but it was apparent that both sides needed to move on sooner rather than later.
With Robinson out of the picture, Jefferson will assume the No. 2 role at wide receiver for the Rams in 2023. The former second-round pick was limited to 11 games in 2022 after undergoing knee surgery during the offseason.
When Woods tore his ACL midway through 2021, then-second-year wideout Van Jefferson assumed more Z snaps after having worked predominantly at X. Jefferson is now in the final year of his rookie deal, and the Rams will likely call upon him to switch back and forth between both X and Z. With the size to play outside and loose enough hips to smoothly execute underneath/intermediate breaks inside, Jefferson can answer that call. He needs to.
Jefferson registered only 24 receptions for 369 yards and three touchdowns in the 11 games he was active last season, in large part due to the inconsistency at quarterback when Matthew Stafford was sidelined. Despite his forgettable numbers from a season ago, Jefferson has shown that he’s capable of handling an expanded role in the offense before.
Even with the Rams taking Puka Nacua in the fifth round of this year’s draft, Jefferson will get plenty of opportunities to produce in 2023. Ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, Jefferson will need to play a vital role in the Rams’ passing attack if the team wants to take strides forward.
