4 Breakout Candidates for the Vikings Offense in 2023
Josh Frey
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The roster construction portion of the NFL offseason is largely behind us, and now, we are getting into the roster evaluation process. With OTAs now in full-swing, allowing us to get first glimpses of the new Minnesota Vikings squad in action, here are four breakout candidates for the Vikings offense in 2023.
RB Ty Chandler
This may depend on whether or not Dalvin Cook sticks around for another season, but Ty Chandler has to be on “breakout watch” heading into the 2023 season. During his rookie year, the running back got buried a bit on the depth chart with both Cook and Alexander Mattison ahead of him.
Assuming Cook gets moved, Chandler’s influence in the offense should grow exponentially compared to a season ago, and even if the soon-to-be 28-year-old RB sticks around for one more year, Chandler should be given a role for one main reason: pass-catching.
He wasn’t forced to do it a ton during his collegiate years, but during the 2021 season with North Carolina, he caught 15 passes that went for an average of 14.4 yards per reception. Once Chandler gets the ball in his hands, he is a very elusive player that is difficult to bring down. Expect to see more touches go his way this year.
WR Jalen Nailor
Jalen Nailor’s role in 2022 was largely limited to the special teams, but during the final two weeks of the season, we started seeing glimpses of what he can do in an NFL offense. In Weeks 17 and 18 against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, Nailor caught seven passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.
The top spots in the wide receiver room are presumed to be given to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and K.J. Osborn, but that WR4 spot could be a very important one this year. The job of that player will likely be to take the top off defenses and make big plays.
Seeing as Nailor averaged 19.9 yards per reception last season and 16.9 yards per reception during his four-year career at Michigan State, the receiver should be very familiar with this role. We’ve already seen the second-year receiver make some big catches during OTAs, so hopefully this spring can be a launching pad into training camp for him.
TE Josh Oliver
Josh Oliver may go down as one of the most underrated signings of the offseason. After struggling with injuries during the early portions of his NFL career, Oliver really began coming into his own with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. Oliver was the only tight end to play 500+ offensive snaps last season and earn PFF grades of 70.0 or better in both run blocking and pass protection.
With the Vikings looking to have a more balanced offensive attack this year, he will inevitably see a large role in run blocking, being a de facto sixth offensive lineman for Minnesota’s offense.
In addition to that, though, I would be willing to bet that he catches more than 14 passes (his 2022 reception total) in 2023. Oliver was a very capable pass-catcher for San Jose State during his collegiate years, and Kevin O’Connell managed to get 19 receptions out of Johnny Mundt last season after the former Rams tight end had never caught more than four passes in any of his previous five NFL seasons.
RG Ed Ingram
Ed Ingram started all 17 games at right guard for the Vikings in 2022, but there were certainly growing pains along the way, including multiple times where he tripped his own QB as he was trying to step back into the pocket.
With a full offseason under his belt, there is a reason to have optimism that the Vikings right guard can take a big leap forward during his second NFL season.
Minnesota’s offensive line should look exactly the same as it did a year ago, meaning the group will have chemistry already built in heading into the summer. For a player like Ingram looking to improve, particularly in pass protection, this familiarity with the scheme and players around him will be huge.
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.