Who is Van Jefferson, the Florida Gators receiver drafted by the Los Angeles Rams?
Van Jefferson needed a change of scenery midway through his college football career. Ole Miss, where he signed to out of Ravenwood High School in Tennessee, had been slapped with a postseason ban due to recruiting violations by former coach Hugh Freeze. Jefferson, with two years of eligibility remaining, soon found himself at the University of Florida.
He became a pivotal part of the Gators’ wide receiver corps, and continued to pave his way to the NFL in the process.
The Los Angeles Rams selected Jefferson in the second round — No. 57 overall — in the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday.
Jefferson, 6-1 and 200 pounds and the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson (now with the New York Jets), started all 26 games he played at UF over the past two seasons, recording a team-best 1,160 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns on 84 catches in that span. For his college career, Jefferson had 2,159 yards on 175 receptions (12.3 avg.) and 16 touchdowns in 48 career games.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein describes Jefferson as a “versatile, skilled receiver who has played all three receiver spots but is likely to do most of his damage from the slot. Jefferson has average size and won’t run away from quality man coverage, but he will separate from it with premium route-running and unique looks and angles that keep cornerbacks on their heels. He needs to prove he can deal with NFL size and strength banging on him at the catch point. Jefferson is a pro-ready receiver whose skill level and competitive nature outweigh average explosiveness and he should find quick work as a WR3/WR4.”
