Vikings Land Free Agent WR and Return Specialist
Josh Frey
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About an hour after Mecole Hardman went off the board, the Minnesota Vikings made their own move to acquire a free agent WR. This one is not nearly as splashy, but per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Vikings have agreed to terms with former Los Angeles Rams WR and return specialist Brandon Powell.
Powell entered the NFL after spending his college years with the Florida Gators from 2014-17. The wide receiver actually committed to Florida as a running back, but he made the switch to receiver during his tenure at the university.
Throughout his four collegiate seasons, Powell recorded 131 receptions, 1330 yards, 9 TDs. He had his best season in 2017 during his senior year, catching 42 passes for 406 yards and 3 TDs. Powell also also returned 33 kicks for 671 yards over his career, averaging 20.3 yards per return.
Powell made his first NFL roster in 2018 when he joined the Detroit Lions. During that season, he played six games and made one start, recording 11 receptions for 129 yards. He was waived by Detroit prior to the 2019 season, and he was promptly picked up by the Atlanta Falcons. However, he did not appear in any games for Atlanta during the season.
2020 was Powell’s return to the NFL field, playing 15 games for the Falcons. He wasn’t a huge contributor to Atlanta’s offense, catching 12 passes for 69 yards, but he emerged as a return man for the Falcons during the year. He returned 17 kicks for 343 yards and 17 punts for 152 yards.
Following the 2020 season, Powell hit free agency again, and he caught on with the Los Angeles Rams and Kevin O’Connell in 2021. Vikings fans may remember him from his punt return TD in the Week 16 game against Minnesota. In all, he recorded eight kick returns for 208 yards and six punt returns for 133 yards.
Powell remained with the Rams in 2022, and this past season was the most he’s contributed to a team offensively. He had 24 receptions for 165 yards with LA, and he maintained his spot as a return man, returning 30 kicks for 605 yards and 24 punts for 177 yards.
Now, Powell is reunited with his former offensive coordinator, O’Connell, in Minnesota and should largely be considered competition for the punt return job with Jalen Reagor. He also brings added depth to the Vikings WR room that lost Thomas Hennigan on Tuesday as well as Adam Thielen earlier in the offseason. Now, the Vikings wide receiver room is back to seven players with Powell joining Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Nailor, Jalen Reagor, Blake Proehl, and Trishton Jackson.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. 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.