It’s a New Position for a Vikings Specialist
Two rookies from general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s second draft class significantly impacted the team in their first campaign. Jordan Addison was forced to take over for Justin Jefferson as the top outside option, and he ultimately logged ten touchdowns and over 900 receiving yards. At the same time, linebacker Ivan Pace played roughly 700 snaps on defense and starred in all facets of linebacker play after some labeled him exclusively as a pass-rusher.
It’s a New Position for a Vikings Specialist
Unexpectedly, quarterback Jaren Hall received many opportunities. He was supposed to be the emergency quarterback behind established starter Kirk Cousins and his backup Nick Mullens. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon was a rotational player who showed promise. Ex-LSU defender Jay Ward, meanwhile, played mostly on special teams, while his college teammate, lineman Jaquelin Roy, was buried on the depth chart.
Another rookie who excelled as a special teams ace was NaJee Thompson. The undrafted rookie signed as a cornerback, but not many gave him a chance to make the team, especially because he barely played on defense at Georgia Southern. He started his college career in 2018 as a wide receiver and moved to the defensive side of the ball in 2021.
After his debut season in the NFL, Thompson once again underwent a position change. Alec Lewis from The Athletic noted the switch in his latest article:
Switched positions, but his value remains in his special teams prowess. Likely to make the roster.
Alec Lewis
In his rookie season, he logged only one snap on defense and 195 on special teams through 15 games. His defensive position only exists on paper, and he is unlikely to be more than an emergency player in Brian Flores’s defense. Still, his ability to change the game on special teams is unparalleled. Thompson will now meet with the safeties and participate in drills with the safeties, although many of those are similar.
During training camp a year ago, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels praised the mindset of his first-year player:
I’ve been watching this player for quite some time now and he lives and breathes special teams, that’s who he is at the core, and for him to finally be able to carry it over from what I saw on tape from the collegiate level to putting it on display on Thursday night only solidifies who he is as a person – the bright lights aren’t too big for him.
Those comments came after he had an explosive game in the preseason and created a viral play in punt coverage. It’s a little harder to have the same impact in the regular season against established players, but he still made plays. His most notable performance came in the Week 17 contest versus the Packers, where he might have been the only winner wearing a purple jersey.
Minnesota’s safeties form one of the best groups in the league with future Ring of Honor inductee Harrison Smith and 2023 breakout players Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus. In addition to those three who will log heavy snap numbers, the Vikings employ Theo Jackson and Jay Ward, who are expected to be the two backups. Lewis Cine, the former first-rounder, appears to be a longshot to make the 53-man roster after two underwhelming campaigns.
The difference between Thompson and many other depth players in the NFL is that he knows he is a special team player and takes pride in excelling in the game’s third phase.
Players can make careers out of their special teams skills, and the best example is Matthew Slater, a special teams star for the New England Patriots. He went to ten Pro Bowls and is a five-time first-team All-Pro, perhaps making the Hall of Fame in a few years despite barely contributing on offense or defense.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell noticed some similarities between his former teammate Slater and Thompson when asked about him last year: “He flashes. We knew his ability as a special teams type of player kind of in that Matthew Slater-esque quality of speed, power, smarts, toughness, all those things.”
Every team reserves one or two roster spots for players who exclusively play special teams (in addition to the three specialists), and one of those spots will be used to keep Thompson around.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt