The Vikings put first-round pick J.J. McCarthy’s locker next to wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s this offseason so that the older player is someone the quarterback “can always talk to and ask questions” during his rookie season.
Jefferson is heading into his fifth year as an NFL player and the move with McCarthy shows that the Vikings see him taking on a leadership role in the organization. During an interview with Metro Sport in London, 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison said it was something that Jefferson did last year as well and complimented his teammate on not feeling threatened by another highly drafted player at the same position.
“A really humble superstar,” Addison said. “Just coming in and just helping me. He was a top receiver and they drafted another first-round receiver, so not a lot of people would take that well. I feel like he did a good job of coaching me up and making sure I was prepared.”
The Vikings have talked up Addison’s improvement heading into his second season and having him along with Jefferson should be a boon to McCarthy, Sam Darnold and anyone else who might be throwing passes for the Vikings in the near future.