'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles': Is Van Jefferson's impressive skills enough to see him play on September 13?
Spoilers for 'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' Episode 4
If the second half of 'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' Episode 4 was all about Jacob Blake and the team's decisions to stand in solidarity, a few players from both the Rams and Chargers camps came into focus in the earlier part of the episode. One of them was the much-talked-about Rams rookie, Van Jefferson who was roped in as one of the wide receivers. For those who waited to see the stuff the kid boasted, they were stunned as his skills were on full display.
Precision outrunning was one of the highlights of Jefferson's practice session. His toe-tapping touchdown and his astute route running caught the eye of the ones who actually needed to see what he was capable of. The bigger challenge came in the form of his one-on-one work with Jalen Ramsey and that was enough to impress the coaches. Talking about Jefferson with Les Snead, “When you look at the three starters, he’s like a mix of all three of them,” said Jacques McClendon, director of player engagement.
In recent news, wide receiver Cooper Kupp was down with an injury and is currently in recovery. This makes Jefferson's role all the more important should Kupp need extended recovery time ahead of their opening game against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13. According to Los Angeles Times, Coach McVay said: "There was a specific play in which he communicated that he was feeling it, so we wanted to be cautious with him," also adding that the X-rays were negative. “We are going to monitor him, but he is feeling good. ... The goal is to make sure that he’s as healthy as possible for the 13th."
This means plenty of work for Jefferson, starting off by upping his reps. Fans too weighed in on Jefferson's eye-catching practice sessions. "#HardKnocks captures two of the highlights of #Rams training camp: Rookie WR Van Jefferson's route-running any day. And CB Jalen Ramsey's one-handed interception and length-of-the-field runback in practice on Aug. 25," read one of the tweets.
#HardKnocks captures two of the highlights of #Rams training camp: Rookie WR Van Jefferson's route-running any day. And CB Jalen Ramsey's one-handed interception and length-of-the-field runback in practice on Aug. 25.
— Kevin Modesti (@KevinModesti) September 2, 2020
Whether this means Jefferson's probability starting on September 13 still comes across as a close-guarded secret. What are your thoughts on Van Jefferson's impressive performance during practice?
'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' airs Tuesdays 10 pm ET on HBO.