Vikings fans will love Kevin O’Connell’s plans for Justin Jefferson

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to use Justin Jefferson like Cooper Kupp, moving him around and getting the ball in his hands.

If Vikings fans weren’t already excited to have former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell as their new head coach, they’re getting a reason to be now.

O’Connell made an appearance on PFT Live and confirmed that his plan to use star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the same one he used to make Cooper Kupp so dominant with the Rams.

Is it possible for Jefferson to produce a season similar to Kupp’s 145 receptions for 1947 yards and 16 touchdowns? That’s the idea.

Kevin O’Connell sees Justin Jefferson as the Vikings’ Cooper Kupp

“The one thing about Cooper Kupp this past season is he lined up in a lot of different spots. It was hard for defenses to really know where he was. He did a lot of different things. He had an impact in a lot of phases of our offense beyond just catching a lot of balls and scoring a lot of touchdowns. There was a huge role for Cooper because of his willingness to be completely solidified in every phase, both the run and the pass,” O’Connell said per Mike Florio.

“I see that with Justin. I see an incredible, incredible skillset, but I also see a player we can move around. We can make it hard for defenses to know where he’s going to be. He doesn’t have to line up in the same spot all the time. He doesn’t have to run the same type of routes all the time. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s willing in the run game. This guy’s a special, special player. I loved him a couple years ago when he was coming out of the draft. We obviously weren’t in a position to possibly get a chance to coach him. You still go through the process. You see the traits, you see the skillset. He’s really just grown from day one.”

O’Connell had one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL at his disposal last year and he’s inheriting one of the top young receivers in the game.

If Jefferson could put up 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first two years in the league, imagine what he could do in O’Connell’s offense.

The new head coach is clearly looking forward to getting even bigger things out of Jefferson.

“Justin Jefferson’s going to have a huge role in our offense and continue to ascend in this league. Cannot wait to start coaching him when we get a chance here coming up this spring.”