Four different wide receivers came off the board before the Minnesota Vikings made Justin Jefferson the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but when the rookie class hit the field during the 2020 season, Jefferson looked like the clear best player among them. Jefferson set a rookie record with 1,400 receiving yards despite not becoming a starter until Week 3, and he turned seven of his 88 receptions into touchdowns.
His performance earned him both a Pro Bowl nod and a selection to the All-Pro Second Team, indicating that he was among the small handful of best wide receivers in the league. And yet, when the Madden NFL 22 ratings came out earlier this week, Jefferson's name was nowhere to be found among the top 10 wideouts.
🚨 Top 10 WRs in #Madden22 👐
— Madden NFL 22 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 26, 2021
Which player will be there by midseason? pic.twitter.com/fb4Vuq1iMa
Jefferson was not happy with this development. In a video with the Vikings' official website, Jefferson made his feelings known.
"I play Madden," Jefferson said. "I'm a big gamer. So I'm all into that. And after I seen the ratings and me not being in the top 10 in any of the ratings, that's just crazy to me. But that's just motivation."
Even if you think Jefferson should have to prove himself in more than one season to be ranked inside the overall top 10 wide receivers, there are still specific skill areas (like route running) where he has a good argument that he was slighted. Of course, Jefferson will have every opportunity to show the Madden game developers on the field just how wrong they were. If his rookie season is any indication, he'll do just that.
