5 Vikings players the Carolina Panthers must keep quiet in Week 6

Justin Jefferson – WR

He’s a bit banged up entering this week, but Justin Jefferson is expected to play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers and should still be treated as fully healthy.

In just his second season in the NFL, Jefferson has established himself as one of the best receivers in the league and has been just as good his sophomore season as he was coming out of LSU in 2020.

Jefferson ranks sixth in the league with 426 receiving yards and has three touchdowns through five games. His athleticism and explosiveness are a sight to watch and the Carolina secondary will have its hands full.

The Panthers won’t have Stephon Gilmore joining the defense for at least one more week. So it’ll be up to the likes of Donte Jackson, C.J. Henderson, and A.J. Bouye to try and shut Jefferson down.

Minnesota also has Adam Thielen in its receiving corps. But he has nowhere near the big-play ability as Jefferson, who is the most important player of the duo to be shut down by Carolina.

If the Panthers can take away Jefferson’s supreme threat, it’ll help their cause no end. However, with Dalvin Cook poised for a return, stacking the box could afford the wideout even more space to do damage.