NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds: Justin Jefferson may become Vikings' 7th all-time winner
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson is +2000 at William Hill sportsbook to win 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
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No team can quite churn out an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winner better than the Minnesota Vikings as they have had a whopping six of them since the first award was handed out in 1957. Receiver Justin Jefferson is +2000 on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook to make it a Lucky 7 for the Vikings this year and be the fourth wideout to win it for the team.
Here are the Vikings' OROY winners: End Paul Flatley (1963), running back Chuck Foreman (1973), receiver Sammy White (1976), receiver Randy Moss (1998), running back Adrian Peterson (2007) and receiver Percy Harvin (2009). Moss is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Peterson will be five years after he retires.
Jefferson was the No. 22 overall pick in this year's draft from national champion LSU – pretty impressive Jefferson even made the NFL considering he was an unranked recruit out of high school by ESPN. Sister site 247Sports ranked Jefferson as only the 2,164th player in the country in the Class of 2017.
However, Jefferson was a monster for the Tigers last season, finishing with 111 catches (tied for FBS lead and a school record), 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns (second in the country behind teammate Ja'Marr Chase). The CBS Sports Big Board ranked Jefferson as the No. 31 overall player in the 2020 NFL Draft and No. 5 wideout. He became the first LSU receiver selected in the first round since Odell Beckham Jr. went 12th overall to the Giants. That worked out quite well, at least on the field.
While perhaps most receivers wouldn't see a lot of targets as a rookie, Jefferson could be in a great spot to succeed because the Vikings traded away starting wideout Stefon Diggs and his 110 targets from 2019 to Buffalo before this year's draft for four picks – including the one that Minnesota used on Jefferson. He should start from Day 1 opposite Adam Thielen.
Jefferson's NFL debut will be Sept. 13 at home vs. Green Bay (coronavirus-willing), with the Vikings as 3-point favorites on the NFL odds.
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