All Aboard the Van Wagon?
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
It’s still a little bit surprising that the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to make any sort of splash in bringing in a wide receiver to replace Diontae Johnson as the No. 2 (or 1B) option opposite George Pickens. At this point, you have to assume that the Steelers’ inaction comes from a level of confidence in the group that’s already there.
Calvin Austin III has shown flashes as a deep threat, and the organization has to have high hopes for third-round pick Roman Wilson. But with a mixture of experience, sneaky upside, and what seems to be maniacally hard work, it might be time to buy into Van Jefferson, No. 2 Receiver.
New receivers coach Zach Azzanni is coaching his players up, riding them, and demanding them to work hard. Apparently, though, it was an obscure staff member that prompted Jefferson’s practice philosophy. We can sum up that up as WWABD(BIAGW)?
What Would Antonio Brown Do (But In A Good Way)?
“One of the equipment guys said, ‘You know, AB used to catch like 300 [passes off the Jugs Machine] every day after practice,'” explained Jefferson. “I think he’s one of the best to ever play in the NFL, so shoot, why not follow what he did?”
Brown’s cleats are incredibly tough to fill, obviously, but who can object to matching that work ethic? It’s a level of leadership that Jefferson brings to a young receiver room that is getting a crash course in Azzanni’s way of doing things.
“Coach is just harping on us and his style of play, just doing things without the ball in our hands,” said Jefferson about what Azzanni is emphasizing in his first training camp in Pittsburgh. “The whole group is just buying into what the coaches are telling us.”
We’re already seeing others buying into Jefferson’s way of doing things, as well. While we’re not sure if Austin grabbed 300 passes of his own, he stayed late on Saturday to work on catching passes with Jefferson. When someone steps up in their work ethic, others follow, and that’s a great sign to see from a young receiver like Austin.
It feels like Jefferson has been around forever, just on the margins of Sean McVay’s offense with the Los Angeles Rams. The reality is that he hasn’t. Jefferson just turned 28 on Friday, and it might feel shocking to put it in these terms, but he’s not even three full years older than Austin.
Jefferson gets knocked a bit for falling off after his 50-catch, 802-yard sophomore season in 2021, but had it not been for injuries, we might think about him differently.
His 2022 season saw him catch 24 passes for 369 yards in 11 games. Yes, those paces would have yielded 13 fewer receptions and 232 yards than his breakout year, but there are still positive signs there. He averaged 15.4 yards per reception, which was right in line with the 16.0 average he had in 2021. Jefferson was getting yards, he just wasn’t getting targets.
Jefferson legitimately struggled in 2023, particularly after what should have been a fresh start with the Atlanta Falcons. But look at those two years, and Jefferson shines through. Here’s where he ranked in Yards Per Reception between 2021 and 2022, among every receiver with 100-plus targets:
- Gabriel Davis, BUF: 16.7
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB/KC: 16.4
- VAN JEFFERSON, LAR: 15.8
- A.J. Brown, TEN/PHI: 15.7
- Corey Davis, NYJ: 15.6
- Deebo Samuel, SF: 15.3
- Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE: 15.1
- Ja’Marr Chase, CIN: 14.9
- DaVante Parker, MIA, NE: 14.8
- Darius Slayton, NYG: 14.8
It’s never a bad thing to find your way above the likes of Brown, Samuel, and Chase in a stat. Even the players here that aren’t superstar-caliber are consistently some of the speediest threats in the league. Some of that might have had to do with McVay’s system, but it’s also worth pointing out that you don’t see any other Rams in the top-10 on this list.
There’s upside with Jefferson that’s gone untapped in LA, and definitely in Atlanta. Will the Steelers be able to get him to break through consistently? We can’t know that for sure, but we know that he has the opportunity to climb up the depth chart, and we know that he’s putting in the work. There are no guarantees, but you could look real smart in a couple of months if you hop on the Van Wagon now.
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