Vikings Strengthen WR Depth by Re-Signing Promising Rookie
The Minnesota Vikings undoubtedly have an outstanding receiving tandem led by Justin Jefferson, who is on the cusp of eclipsing 6,000 receiving yards in his career. He recorded at least 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons, and only an injury last season could slow him down. Now healthy, he will be supported by wingman Jordan Addison. The problem: The sophomore is dealing with his second ankle injury within a month.
Vikings Strengthen WR Depth by Re-Signing Promising Rookie
A sprained ankle suffered in Sunday’s win over the New York Giants could be the reason why he can’t suit up in the Week 2 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The dynamic second-year player received some optimistic words from his head coach in Monday’s presser, but the sprain could keep him out for a game or two.
On Tuesday, the Vikings re-signed rookie wideout Jeshaun Jones to the practice squad after two weeks away from the team. He was released among the final roster cuts but returns, perhaps to combat an Addison absence.
The franchise tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: “The Vikings have signed WR Jeshaun Jones to the practice squad and released CB Jaylin Williams from the practice squad.”
Jones was re-signed to the practice squad after the Vikings had cut him from the roster to trim the number of players to the required 53. Just one day later, he was released again.
The undrafted rookie had a crazy college journey at the University of Maryland. He scored seven touchdowns from scrimmage and one passing score as a true freshman in 2018, looking like the next big thing.
The expectations were high for him entering his sophomore season, but a torn ACL forced him to sit out the entire 2019 campaign. In the shortened COVID-19 season, he played in only four games, and a second torn ACL followed in 2021. Jones has stayed healthy in the last two seasons, scoring four touchdowns in each season and tabulating 557 and 790 receiving yards, respectively.
Jones appeared in three preseason games, catching five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. PFF credited him with three dropped passes, an unacceptable number on only eight targets, which might have been the difference between ending up on the chopping block and staying on the practice squad.
The Vikings have six WRs on the 53-man roster:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jalen Nailor
- Brandon Powell
- Trent Sherfield Sr.
- Trishton Jackson
Jones joins Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas on the practice squad. Trishton Jackson was inactive on Sunday, meaning two wideouts must miss time for one of the practice squad wideouts to be active on game day.
Rookie Jones has the talent (shown by his college production) to carve out a role in the NFL at some point, but staying healthy is key, just like avoiding rookie mistakes like the three preseason drops. He will now attempt to work on his game in practice and wait for his chance.
Last year’s undrafted wideouts ‒ Thayer Thomas and Malik Knowles ‒ returned for a second training camp. The Vikings enjoy keeping “their guys” in town, which could be beneficial for Jones.
Another one of those guys is cornerback Jaylin Williams, who had to make room for Jones. A 2023 undrafted rookie, Williams spent two preseasons with the club and is now hoping to get a practice squad slot at another franchise.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference and PFF helped with this article.
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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