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Ja'Marr Chase vs. Justin Jefferson: Bengals, Vikings experts make their case for the NFL's top wide receiver

   

In the National Football League, some positions are easier than others to figure out who the best player is while others are significantly more difficult.

The one position that is very contentious at the top is wide receiver. In our staff poll at A to Z Sports, Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals edged out Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, who held the crown last year and the ESPN ranking series crown over the prior two seasons.

Despite having played at arguably the best college football team ever assembled together in 2019 at LSU, the two players are very different. Who really is the better receiver? 

Our beat writers John Sheeran (Bengals) and Tyler Forness (Vikings) broke down what makes each player special.

Better before the catch

Jefferson: When you take a look at what Jefferson is as a wide receiver, he’s a route-running savant. In Kevin O’Connell’s offense, where in-breaking routes are key to its success, Jefferson runs the best dig and out routes in the National Football League. Whereas some round off their routes while others slow down and drop their hips, Jefferson combines the two by making crisp breaks where he doesn’t slow down at all. That element is crucial to making things work.

It doesn’t matter what you ask Jefferson to do to get open; he thrives in doing so. The one element here that can hinder him is physicality, but you need to absolutely sell out to stop him, and when you do that, the likes of Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson will crush you (see: week 12 @ Chicago Bears 2024). Jefferson’s sheer presence is why the Vikings have built up a stable of weapons around him.

Chase: This is where I give Jettas the full advantage. It’s a privilege watching him get in and out of his breaks. Ironically, it’s also where I think Chase has grown the most as a wideout. He’s always possessed elite vertical speed and strength to run through physical cornerbacks in man coverage, but he’s gradually combined that with better hand usage and fluidity with his in-breakers.

 

There’s also the mental side of things. Chase has always had chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow, which has led to some unguardable connections, but he’s also developed a greater understanding of coverages and spacing that has improved his route running. Nevertheless, his former LSU running mate takes the cake here since Jefferson is clearly the best without the ball in his hands.

Better after the catch

Jefferson: If you wanted to poke holes in the game of Jefferson, getting yards after the catch is one area you can look at. Of his 1,591 receiving yards in 2024, only 31.17% of them came after the catch. The fair question here is whether or not it’s Jefferson’s fault or the design of the offense. O’Connell doesn’t structure his offense to maximize yards after the catch, but rather attacks space in zones to continue moving the chains. Jefferson has shown he can get yards after the catch and manipulate defenders; he’s just not in Chase’s league in this area. The best example of his skills after the catch is his 97-yard touchdown catch against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Chase: This is where Chase’s traits shine, and that’s what I ultimately think makes him the best wideout in the game. He instills pure terror in every cornerback he faces (except Denzel Ward, who’s a literal DAWG himself) because he can turn a short pass into a long touchdown. Every. Single. Time. He forces a safety to stay over top of him in the pre-snap phase, and that same safety needs the best possible angle to bring him down in the post-snap phase.

Chase is the most dangerous receiver after the catch because he possesses the best combination of pure speed and power. He’s like a taller and somehow faster Steve Smith Sr., who was a pain in the you know what to tackle in his heyday. Catching up to Chase is tough enough, but taking him down in space makes for an even longer day at the office. In a league where defenses are keeping most offenses under wraps with two-high shells, the value of players who can create yards and explosives on their own is immense. That’s where Chase shines brighter than anyone. 

Production

Jefferson: Quite literally, no wide receiver has ever been as productive as Jefferson to start a career. He holds five NFL records when it comes to production:

  • Most receiving yards through two seasons
  • Most receiving yards through three seasons
  • Most receiving yards through four seasons
  • Most receiving yards through five seasons
  • Most receiving yards per game: 96.5 yards

He’s been elite in every season, including his injured season of 2023, where his production didn’t dip when Kirk Cousins went out halfway through the season. That’s the sign of a great wide receiver.

  • With Kirk Cousins: 5 games, 53 targets, 36 receptions, 571 yards, 3 touchdowns
  • With Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall: 4.5 games, 47 targets, 32 receptions, 503 yards, 2 touchdowns

Chase: Who’s got a triple crown here? I’m just playing. That’s an incredible feather in Chase’s cap, but I can’t argue with what Jefferson has done. It’s like walking off the golf course shooting a 61 and you find out the clubhouse leader shot a 59. What can you do except throw your hands up?

Now that I’ve said all that, 2.23 yards per route run (YPPR) for Chase’s career is really good on its own. 6.1 yards after catch per reception is absurd. He’s also been mostly an outside wideout for his career and didn’t start benefitting from slot production until last year.

And that’s just the thing. Last year was absolutely bonkers. From a volume standpoint I don’t see it being repeated, but from an efficiency standpoint? It’s definitely reachable again. 2.41 YPPR. 6.3 YAC/Rec. Nearly a clean 66/33 split between wideout and slot. This is the expectation going forward with him, and there’s no reason to believe he can reproduce these rates even if his volume dips in the presence of Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki, and others.

And many, many more touchdowns.

Jefferson: While Chase is great at getting yards after the catch and is slightly better in contested catch situations (Jefferson is quite good), he can’t match the overall package. When one player arguably has the best hands and route running ability in the National Football League, it’s hard to go in another direction.

Chase: Like I said, I was team Jefferson until I saw a fully healthy Ja’Marr Chase with a mostly healthy Joe Burrow in the prime of their careers. Whatever’s above the sky is the limit. I think these two will be at the top of every receiver ranking for years to come unless injuries get in the way, but I gotta give Chase the slight nod taking into account their most recent tape and Chase’s raw athletic advantage.

Who is the best wide receiver between them? At the very least, it's a discussion, and both players have really good cases.

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