Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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While there may have been a little less legwork on prospects with regard to effort in the weight room or biographical backgrounds, the game tape is still "going to tell you a ton about the player anyway."
"I think there's just more ways to gather information now. This year was really different, an anomaly for sure. ... I wouldn't say a ton has changed as far as the actual draft process and what you need to do to feel comfortable with the guys you draft, but the technology has changed the game for sure, and analytics is a huge part, as well," Stephenson said.
The Vikings were quite comfortable with selecting Justin Jefferson when he was still on the board at No. 22 last season. Jefferson made good on that with a Vikings rookie record of 88 receptions and an NFL rookie record of 1,400 receiving yards.
"As good as we thought Justin Jefferson was, he still exceeded expectations with the phenomenal year he had, breaking the rookie receiving record," Stephenson said. "We all thought he was a really good player. That's why we took him, and were so excited that he fell to us, but he even exceeded our expectations."
Jefferson, Thielen & McCardell Roundtable
Thursday's episode of #VikingsatHome also included a breakdown of film by Vikings analyst Pete Bercich to explain what made Jefferson and Adam Thielen such a great tandem in 2020 and a roundtable discussion with the receivers and their new coach, Keenan McCardell.
McCardell was hired earlier this month after coaching in Jacksonville — one of the teams he shined for during his 17-season career as a player — and said he is excited about coaching the likes of Jefferson and Thielen.