What Jauan Jennings’ Vikings signing means for Justin Jefferson, offense

The Minnesota Vikings were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL last season, as the JJ McCarthy experiment quickly crashed and burned. The Vikings finished just 8-9 and missed out on the playoffs, thrusting them into an offseason full of questions.

Naturally the quarterback position was the biggest question. The Vikings opted not to just run it back with McCarthy, instead signing Kyler Murray to a one-year deal in free agency.

Now, Minnesota got him another weapon, signing former 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings to a one-year, $13 million deal.

While the Vikings didn’t necessarily need another receiver in the offense, the addition of Jennings will still be a major plus for the Minnesota offense.

Jauan Jennings is a perfect fit in the Vikings’ WR room

Jalen Nailor proved to be a rock-solid third wide receiver for the Vikings over the last few years, but he is off to the Las Vegas Raiders on a new free-agent deal. Jennings will come in and take his place as the third receiver, but his play style fits perfectly next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Addison, Jefferson and Jennings can all play both inside and outside, which will give Kevin O’Connell plenty of optionality with his formations. The skillsets of the three of them also complement each other perfectly.

Addison has great speed and has made his money as a deep threat during his young career. While he is on the smaller side, he provides the downfield threat that Murray can find when he wants to hunt big plays.

Jefferson will remain the star. The LSU product is one of the best all-around wideouts in football and is elite at all three levels of the field. He has great speed and quickness and is one of the most nuanced route-runners in the NFL. With an improvement at quarterback next season, Jefferson should be right back near the top of the NFL statistically and will be the ceiling-raiser for this Vikings team.

Jennings offers a little something different as a receiver. He is a pure chain mover who uses his size, listed at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, to bully defenders in the short and intermediate areas of the field, making him a reception machine in his best days with the Niners. Over the last two seasons, the Tennessee product has 132 catches for more than 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Jennings will be a frequent target on third downs for Murray, especially in a spot where he will see a lot of one-on-one coverage while defenses tilt toward Jefferson. With the genius of O’Connell calling the plays, Jennings will be a major plus for this Minnesota offense.

Does the Jennings signing affect Justin Jefferson’s usage?

While Jennings will likely demand some targets and be a big factor on late downs, Jefferson will still be the top dog in Minnesota. As a result, the short answer here is no.

Jennings is a quality auxiliary option for Murray to lean on in the passing game, but he is no Jefferson. In all of the areas where Jefferson thrives, he will still be the top target.

Red zone? Jefferson is the guy you want to lean on to get open. Third down? Your best plays on the call sheet are still going to Jefferson.

Jefferson also gets plenty of big gains after the catch, as O’Connell excels at getting him open on intermediate routes where he is running away from defenders. None of that will change, even with Jennings in the offense as a safety valve for the quarterback.

In the end, Jefferson should still be one of the most productive receivers in the league with improved quarterback play from Murray. At the same time, the addition of Jennings makes this Minnesota offense truly scary.

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