Vikings OC Wes Phillips Speaks on the Versatility of TE Josh Oliver and the Position as a Whole in 2023
Josh Frey
|
The Minnesota Vikings have left fans wondering about many questions over the past few months of the offseason with massive turnover taking place across their roster, specifically defensively.
However, one of the first questions occurred with their initial free agency acquisition, TE Josh Oliver. What exactly would he be able to bring to the table in Minnesota when T.J. Hockenson is already there? Why did the Vikings choose to sign a tight end first rather than a different position of need?
Since the signing, many have spoken about the potential impact and versatility of Oliver. Last year with the Baltimore Ravens, he proved to be one of the very best run-blocking tight ends in all of football, with PFF grading him at a strong score of 74.0.
During his press conference on Thursday afternoon ahead of the Vikings second training camp practice, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips spoke on Oliver’s role, and what he expects the tight end to bring to the table this season.
“Josh Oliver, when you just look at his production, a lot of it last year in Baltimore was in the run game, but he was also a guy coming out that we all graded that was very productive in the pass game. We were kind of saying ‘hey, we’re going to have to, you know, teach this guy how to block,'” Phillips said.
Oliver may now be well-regarded as a blocking tight end in the league, but as Phillips notes, it hasn’t always been that way. A few weeks back, Kyle Joudry and I discussed a couple underrated Vikings players that may be ready to explode onto the scene in 2023. I went with Oliver for the reason that he could be an explosive piece in the Vikings passing game.
While he hasn’t been considered much of a pass-catcher throughout his NFL career, recording just 26 receptions over his first four NFL seasons, he played that precise role throughout college. At San Jose State, Oliver put together 56 receptions for 709 yards and 4 touchdowns during his senior season of 2018, resulting in his third-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
I’m far from the first person to point out Oliver’s prowess in the passing game, either. Take a look at how Lance Zierlein of NFL.com described the tight end ahead of the 2019 Draft:
Above-average, mid-air athlete with plus ball skills who was forced to deal with coverages that were consistently shaded in his direction thanks to an excessive target count. Oliver’s route-running and ball-tracking talent allow him to work beyond the first level and can help NFL team’s looking to push the ball downfield. Oliver will flash as an in-line blocker at times but might need to enter the league as a TE2/3 who works from the slot until he becomes more skilled and consistent at the point of attack.
An anonymous AFC scout also said the following of Oliver ahead of the draft that spring, “I had him as my sleeper this summer, but he just put too much on tape to stay a sleeper. He can work in the slot but he needs to get better as a blocker so he can stay on the field on every down.”
“He’s just a big, physical player. You’ve seen the guy; you’ve seen what he looks like, but he can put that to use on the field,” Phillips sumised. “When you have these guys, when you have Johnny Mundt, C.J. Ham, guys who have been productive in this league, it just makes sense to make sure that we use all available players.”
The Vikings tight end room doesn’t come close to stopping at Oliver, either, as Phillips describes. With Johnny Mundt returning for his second season with the team, and do-it-all fullback C.J. Ham potentially playing some snaps at the position, Minnesota is chock-full of guys who can more than hold their own in both the blocking game and passing game at the position.
We’ve barely even mentioned Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson at the top of the room, too. He came into the Vikings offense during 2022 and immediately provided a much-needed spark as a receiving option to take pressure off the wide receivers. This group should shine under the leadership of Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips during the 2023 season.
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.