The Road to 53: WR Malik Knowles Brings an Intriguing Combo of Size and Athleticism
Josh Frey
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The Vikings roster is just about set for training camp this summer, and with that, the offseason moves past the roster construction phase and into the roster evaluation phase. As we get our first glimpses of the Vikings roster in action throughout the summer, it’s time to evaluate which players should be candidates to make the final 53-man roster during training camp. Today, we continue the “Road to 53” by discussing WR Malik Knowles.
Background
Coming out of high school at Lake Ridge High in Mansfield, Texas, Malik Knowles was an interesting recruit. At 6’2 he had the length to be a dominant receiver, but weighing in at just 165 pounds hurt his chances of landing with one of the top FBS programs. As a result, he was a three-star recruit, and in January 2018, he committed to Kansas State to play for the Wildcats.
This was a program coming off an 8-5 season and a Cactus Bowl victory over UCLA in 2017 and extended success in the past (appearing in bowl games for eight straight seasons from 2010-17), but they were set to lose their top receiver, Byron Pringle, to the NFL Draft.
Knowles’ freshman season saw him appear in just three games, but he made the most of the limited opportunities. He caught 10 passes for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns in these games. Unfortunately, his production would not help the Wildcats continue their streak of bowl game appearances as Kansas State went just 5-7 during that 2017 season.
2019 brought some big changes to the program with a new head coach (Chris Klieman) and a new starting QB for the offense (Skylar Thompson). Because of that, Kansas State was able to get back to their usual success, and Knowles took a big leap as well. The Wildcats went 8-5 once again, being ranked as highly as No. 20 in the nation, and Knowles caught 27 passes for 397 yards and three TDs.
Knowles’ versatility as a football player also was put on display during his sophomore season, rushing seven times for 70 yards and returning six kicks for 222 yards, including a touchdown.
Then, 2020 rolled around, and while that was a difficult college football season in general, it especially seemed to impact Kansas State. After a 4-1 start, the defense crumbled down the stretch of the season as the Wildcats lost their final five games, allowing a total of 203 points over this final five games. It didn’t help that Thompson also suffered a shoulder injury that held him out for the final seven games of the season.
It was equally difficult for Knowles as his junior season saw a big step backwards in terms of production. He caught just 13 passes for 204 yards and three TDs over eight games. His kick return average was cut in half as well, averaging just 18.5 yards per return on 11 opportunities.
However, 2021 was once again a strong bounce-back season for Knowles and Kansas State. Despite Thompson missing three games once again, the Wildcats went 8-5 that year, and Knowles had his best season yet, catching 29 passes for 441 yards and four TDs, all career-highs. He also had 15 carries that went for 106 yards, and his kick-returning was sublime, bringing back 20 kicks for a ridiculous 662 yards while also scoring twice.
Knowles was beginning to emerge as a potential NFL prospect if he continued to produce like he did in 2021, but he and Kansas State both needed to string together back-to-back strong seasons in his fifth year if they were going to emerge on the national stage.
They did just that as Kansas State went 10-4, being ranked 14th in the final AP Poll, and while much of the offensive production laid on the shoulders of RB Deuce Vaughn, Knowles had another season full of career-highs as a receiver. He caught 48 passes for 725 yards and three TDs. His versatility remained an elite portion of his game, rushing eight times for 164 yards and three TDs while also stringing together 23 kick returns for 592 yards.
Knowles ended up going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, but promptly afterwards, he was picked up by the Vikings, and now, he enters training camp hoping to continue his stretch of success that he enjoyed in 2021 and 2022 at the NFL level.
How He Can Impact the 2023 Vikings
Knowles may have entered the Kansas State program as a slight receiver, but he certainly bulked up, and now, he is listed at 196 pounds on the Vikings roster. Certainly not the biggest receiver, but he has a combination of size and speed that allows him to blow by players in the secondary while not being bullied by larger corners.
In addition, his versatility as a player likely is why the Vikings are intrigued by him. He can impact that game not only as a receiver, but as a rusher and special teams player too. He is a solid blocker as well when given the opportunity.
With an ability to impact the game in a number of ways, Knowles will get multiple chances to show the Vikings what he can do as a player, and there is a chance that at least one area of his game intrigues the team enough to keep him around.
Obstacles in His Way
Considering the depth at receiver for the Vikings right now, it seems unlikely that they’d keep Knowles around rather than one of the established players at the position with Minnesota using their first-round pick to bring in Jordan Addison.
In addition, Knowles seems to be heading to Minnesota a couple years too late. Kene Nwangwu has been one of the best kick returners in the entire league over his first two seasons, returning three kicks for touchdowns, so unless Knowles proves to be even better, it will be difficult for Minnesota to justify keeping him on the roster for that role. Knowles has great talent in multiple areas, but they are areas that already seem to be filled in Minnesota.
The Prediction
In all, it would be a bit surprising to see Knowles make the final 53-man roster for the 2023 Vikings. While certainly not impossible, it seems that the team is very well set at both receiver and kick returner. However, if Minnesota is forced to waive the Kansas State product, they should absolutely do their best to keep him around on the practice squad.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.