A Starting Defender Gets Tossed Into Vikings Punt Returner Shuffle
Until notified otherwise, the Vikings punt returner duties are being held by Brandon Powell.
Affectionately known as Mighty Mouse, Powell has a history with Kevin O’Connell dating back to Los Angeles. The depth receiver ended up getting a shot with Minnesota, and he has scooped up one of the coveted 53 spots on the final roster due to his ability to help at various spots on the team.
Take a look at what Kevin O’Connell had to say about Powell: “Brandon Powell has had an excellent training camp, doing so many things that I don’t think people realize sometimes just all the different jobs he can do.” So, if the head coach is to be believed — and I see no reason why he shouldn’t be — Powell is going to be leaned on to accomplish all kinds of things in Minnesota.
Nevertheless, the team has been diligently planning for all eventualities. Powell potentially missing time would require someone else to step in. One of the options under consideration is CB1 Byron Murphy, the recently-signed corner who left Arizona in exchange for greener pastures in Minnesota (and less heat).
The Vikings Punt Returner Duties
Per Andrew Krammer of The Star Tribune, the Vikings gave some practice reps to the talented corner: “The #Vikings appear at full strength entering Week 1. All 53 players participating at Monday’s practice, the start of which was open to reporters. Brandon Powell, K.J. Osborn and Byron Murphy fielding punt returns in that order. Murphy had a 48-yard return for Cardinals in 2021.”
Seeing K.J. Osborn’s name on the list isn’t much of a surprise.
After all, he originally joined the Vikings due to his abilities as a punt returner. His rookie season didn’t feature any time on offense, logging a whopping zero snaps alongside Kirk Cousins & Friends. Unfortunately, special teams didn’t go much better. Osborn had 7 returns go for just 27 yards, leading to a paltry 3.9 yards-per-return average.
Since then, Osborn has reinvented himself, turning into a strong WR2/3. He’s now a key component of the Vikings’ aerial attack who is being tasked with taking some of the heat off of Justin Jefferson. If, for any reason, Powell is unable to go as a punt returner, then Osborn is likely going to be the one who gets the first call as a fill-in. During his final season in college, Osborn averaged 15.9 yards per return.
The real eyebrow raiser from the Krammer tweet is the Byron Murphy inclusion. The corner isn’t lacking in athleticism and he does have a bit of experience in the job (as Krammer notes). As a sophomore, Murphy took a pair of returns back for just 3 total yards. As a third-year player, Murphy had the 48-yard return that the tweet highlights.
The issue with Murphy involves a bit of a different spin on the old football adage about ability and availability. Put differently, the question shouldn’t be whether he has the ability — he very like does — but whether he should be made available.
The Vikings are going into the season with a very thin corner room. One player — NaJee Thompson — is there solely as a special teams ace. Another player — Andrew Booth Jr. — has shown no signs of being able to lock down a corner spot on a weekly basis. Still another — Mekhi Blackmon — is an unproven rookie. So, overtaxing Murphy and/or exposing him to more injury risk seems a touch misguided.
In all likelihood, Murphy would only get put in that spot if absolutely necessary. Even then, the task would likely involve just securing the football rather than being burdened with pulling off a massive return (as exciting as those are).
Keep in mind, as well, that the Vikings have retained Thayer Thomas on the practice squad. Yes, the UDFA had some foibles during the preseason but he’s still young. Give the rookie a bit more time before totally writing him off as a non-factor as a returner.
The Vikings get their season going on Sunday, September 10th against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expect a full offering of defensive snaps for Murphy but not too much else.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Sports Reference CFB helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full-time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.