Vikings Draft Profile: Another Wide Receiver to Add to Minnesota’s Arsenal
The Minnesota Vikings currently have one of the more nameworthy wide receiver rooms in the entire NFL headlined by Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Not to be outdone, KJ Osborn emerged as a very capable third option during the 2021 season as well. Even with the strength of this room, could the Vikings draft board include an emphasis on increasing depth? If so, Khalil Shakir out of Boise State looks like a promising player heading into April.
Statistics
- 2018 (10 Games): 16 Rec, 170 yards, 1 TD; 14 Att, 70 yards, 1 TD
- 2019 (14 Games): 63 Rec, 872 yards, 6 TDs; 19 Att, 66 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 (7 Games): 52 Rec, 719 yards, 6 TDs; 17 Att, 148 yards
- 2021 (12 Games): 77 Rec, 1117 yards, 7 TDs; 21 Att, 130 yards
Strengths
There have been some great Vikings draft success stories over the years, and this could be the latest one. Over the course of his four-year career at Boise State, Khalil Shakir has become known for his athleticism and explosive playmaking abilities more than anything else. During high school, he did not primarily play wide receiver. Instead, he often carried the ball in the ground game, and from that experience, you can see how he’s developed an extreme playmaking ability after the catch. There’s a high level of slipperiness in Shakir’s game, and he is extremely difficult to tackle.
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The athleticism also shows up prior to the catch though. Shakir averaged nearly 14 yards per reception and six yards per carry to boot, in large part because of his ability to burst into his routes. Essentially, he found a lot of success with the Broncos largely by just being the fastest player on the field at all times. He has blazing speed, and his first step off the line of scrimmage oftentimes puts defensive backs on their heels.
Relying on speed alone simply doesn’t make an NFL wide receiver, though. In addition to these skills, Shakir has absurd ball skills. If the pass is within reach, more often than not, the former Bronco will be able to bring it in. He contorts his body effortlessly and always picks the best angles to haul in a pass.
Weaknesses
The biggest problem with Khalil Shakir right now is something that remains out of his control. He just doesn’t have great size or length, making his catch radius a lot smaller than other prospects. If stronger defensive backs can keep up with his initial steps, they tend to bully him out of making an impact on his routes as well. This makes him a less than ideal run-blocker as well in a zone scheme.
Finally, his route running could use some polishing. He doesn’t have a stifling cut in his process that other receivers do and can occasionally make a round route. Shakir is basically what I would a call a “straight shooter”. He doesn’t employ many head fakes or cutbacks in his routes and that makes him a lot easier to predict. An expansion upon these tools will be needed at the next level.
Khalil Shakir’s Fit on the 2022 Vikings
The Vikings do have a strong receiving group going into 2022, but it is extremely top heavy. There is obviously the potential that Ihmir Smith-Marsette develops into a larger role this upcoming season, but Khalil Shakir brings something to the table that the Vikings don’t really have right now. Minnesota doesn’t have a true burner that they can put in the slot and just let him be an explosive playmaker. Because of Shakir’s experience as a ballcarrier, it also opens up possibilities of putting him in the backfield or running some jet sweeps in a type of Deebo Samuel role. Prior to the combine, Shakir is looking like a Day Three pick, and if he’s there when Minnesota is selecting, they might as well take a shot at him.
