Player: WR Van Jefferson
Stock Value: Even
Reasoning: Arguably the biggest name the Steelers signed on offense this season, Van Jefferson isn’t leaving much of an impression yet. Or rather he is, but that impression varies from person to person. The veteran wide receiver did not appear to turn heads in any positive way during spring drills, according to reporters. Take reports at this time of year with a grain of salt, but this is the time of year we’re in.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cast a wide but shallow net in searching for their next starting wide receiver. After trading Diontae Johnson, they signed veterans Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and Scotty Miller. They used a third-round pick on Roman Wilson, as well, while Calvin Austin III returns from last season.
Of that group, arguably Austin has garnered the most positive attention. And arguably Jefferson has garnered the least. In fact, I’m not sure I recall reading much positive about him. Yet The Athletic beat writers Mark Kaboly felt it was worth including him on a “(Dis)honorable mention” list.
“Jefferson is a guy the Steelers needed to stand out, and he didn’t”, he wrote in a recent winners and losers article looking back at spring practices. “Now, take spring practices for what they are worth, but nothing has jumped out to suggest he can be a difference-maker”.
A former second-round pick, Van Jefferson helped contribute to the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl victory in 2021. That year, he caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns, but his career since has paled in comparison.
Over the past two seasons, in 28 games, Jefferson has caught just 44 passes for 578 yards and three touchdowns. That includes 12 games with the Atlanta Falcons under Arthur Smith, who is now his offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh. In Atlanta, he caught all of 12 passes for 101 yards.
Yet Ray Fittipaldo said of Jefferson that he “looks the part”, without much elaboration, so what do we take of that? What did Fittipaldo see that Kaboly did not, or vice versa? Or perhaps we should be asking exactly what part Jefferson looked like. For his own part, he said he believes he has a 1,000-yard season in him.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
