The Vikings’ WR Battle Seems Sure to Have a Couple Odd Twists and Turns
Prior to training camp, I’ll be working through a position-by-position roster projection. The fourth installment in the series is going to consider wide receiver, one of the great positions in Vikings history.
The Vikings’ WR battle bears no suspense at the very top. The only thing capable of slowing down Justin Jefferson is injury (and potentially sub-optimal QB play). He’ll be the WR1 for years to come after signing his major extension. The growth of Jordan Addison will involve Minnesota boasting a terrific twosome, but then there’s a decent bit of uncertainty. Who else gets kept around?
The Vikings’ WR Battle and the Twists Ahead
Minnesota has a pile of options to consider.
Even after moving on from Devron Harper and converting N’Keal Harry to tight end, the Vikings are sitting on double-digit receivers. Take a look:
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Brandon Powell
WR4: Jalen Nailor
WR5: Trishton Jackson
WR6: Trent Sherfield
WR7: Lucky Jackson
WR8: Thayer Thomas
WR9: Malik Knowles
WR10: Ty James
WR11: Jeshaun Jones
Brandon Powell is the favorite to be the WR3.
The man is super shifty and has demonstrated great resilience getting to this point in his career. A journeymen, Powell has put in work across the NFL, landing deals with the Lions, Falcons, Bills, Dolphins, and Rams. His career has certainly had its ups and downs, but it’s notable when a coach brings a former player to his current team. Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips were in LA when Powell was there; the basic takeaway is simply that O’Connell and Phillips must value what Powell offers.
The Vikings will feature Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones as the main playmakers. One wonders if Brandon Powell can be the WR3 as someone who is very difficult to hang with in man coverage. He can be moved around the formation. He can help on special teams, too.
After Powell, Jalen Nailor is the name to watch.
He’ll be entering Year 3 in the NFL and has yet to live up to his potential, largely due to being injured at different points. He’s still only 25, so there’s still time for him to put everything together, but he’s coming off a season where he only had 3 catches for 29 yards. Of course, the major caveat is that he was involved in just a half dozen games.
The Vikings would like to see him get somewhere closer to 25-30 catches, 300+ yards, and a couple scores. That kind of production would be excellent for a WR4, especially given the presence of so much tight end talent.
Some have high hopes for Trent Sherfield, but the veteran adds at receiver rarely work out for the Vikings. More likely is someone like Trishton Jackson sticking around or possibly Jeshaun Jones, who landed a nice UDFA deal. Plus, Thayer Thomas and Malik Knowles have picked up praise from the team’s head coach.
Given the constraints of a 53-man roster, the Vikings’ WR battle will result in some good options getting cut. Look for Minnesota to keep five players at the position: Jefferson, Addison, Powell, Nailor, and Jackson (Trishton).
On the practice squad, guys like Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas — young and with the ability to help on specials — are names to watch.
Before training camp arrives, I’ll be doing a position-by-position roster projection in an effort to understand what the final 53-man roster could look like. Once training camp and the preseason unfold, we can swing back around to the projections to see about any adjustments. Entries: Quarterback, Running Back, Tight End.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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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.