Former Vikings Playmaker Generating Buzz in Final Hours Before Trade Deadline
For a time, K.J. Osborn was a well-liked Vikings playmaker. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, though, has been taking the receiver position in a different direction in recent seasons, building around Justin Jefferson while onboarding his own receivers.
Currently, Osborn is with the Patriots, a team that’s going nowhere fast. As a result, it makes some sense that he’s generating interest on the trade market. Consider the word from Jordan Schultz: “Sources: #Patriots WR K.J. Osborn has been involved in trade talks over the past couple of weeks and is a target for a few teams ahead of today’s deadline. Osborn had productive seasons in Minnesota but hasn’t seen as many opportunities in New England.”
Former Vikings Playmaker & The NFL Trade Deadline
The second chapter of Osborn’s career has been modest.
After 6 games in New England, Mr. Osborn has just 7 receptions for 57 yards. He does have a touchdown but the 8.7 yards-per-reception average is pretty uninspiring. Would a new environment be the spark that he needs to start producing a bit more?
A great leader and hard worker, K.J. Osborn would improve a lot of teams as a dependable WR3/4 who competes hard and who can sometimes win deep. Even better, the man is capable of moving into the slot while also being able to play along the outside.
Consider the stats for Osborn across his final three seasons with the Vikings:
| Year | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
| 2021 | 50 | 655 | 7 |
| 2022 | 60 | 650 | 5 |
| 2023 | 48 | 540 | 3 |
In his time as a Viking, Osborn averaged 11.7 yards per reception. So, no one will be mistaking him for Tyreek Hill, but the man can play. A competent offense and a WR3 role could reasonably result in 50-60 catches, around 600 yards, and 5(ish) touchdowns over the course of a full season. Not bad.
The 2020 5th-Round selection has outperformed his draft slot. A major reason why is his aforementioned ability to move inside and outside. A team that moves receivers in and out with great regularity could have interest in the playmaker.
He stands at 5’11” and weighs 203 pounds. Coming into the draft, Osborn ran a 4.48 forty and put up 18 reps on the bench press.
In the offseason, K.J. Osborn agreed to a single-season deal that promised to pay $4 million. He is 27.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, 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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.