Kevin O’Connell Is Still a Fan of an Unsung Player
The Minnesota Vikings are entering year three under Kevin O’Connell as the team’s head coach. Through two seasons, his operation has produced a 20-13 record. Since his arrival in Minnesota, the decision-makers have swapped almost the entire team, with only a dozen players remaining from the previous regime.
Kevin O’Connell Is Still a Fan of an Unsung Player
One of his first signings was tight end Johnny Mundt, who he had previously coached as the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. He joined the club on March 16, 2022, roughly a month later than the coach. Over 29 months later, he is still with the Vikings after signing a new deal earlier in the 2024 offseason.
It turns out O’Connell is still a fan of the versatile tight end. He was asked about Mundt on Thursday, and he went on to rave about him for a minute:
You guys know I’m always good for some Johnny Mundt talk. Every time you look up, he’s making a play. Sometimes noteworthy in the passing game, sometimes it’s just a great block, sometimes it’s the way Josh Oliver and him are working together. He’s just got such a good feel and poise. He always seems to be in the right spots, doing the right thing with great technique. Those players tend to be favorites of coaches. Johnny has been great. There’s a reason why he’s been here really every day since I’ve gotten here.
Kevin O’Connell
He praised him while smiling like a teenage girl in love for the first time.
After years as a depth and special teams player in Los Angeles with barely a role on offense, Mundt was immediately inserted into the lineup, sharing snaps with Irv Smith Jr. His blocking skills allowed him to be a three-down player, while Smith was primarily used as a pass catcher.
The trade for T.J. Hockenson hurt his production, but he still registered career highs in receptions and yards and caught his first touchdown. In fact, he had more catches and yards in 2022 than in the previous five seasons with the Rams combined.
Last season, free-agent addition Josh Oliver pushed him further down the depth chart, but he reemerged after Hockenson’s injury, turning from a blocker into a pass-catcher. He caught ten of his 17 passes and produced 120 of his 172 yards in the final three games of the year.
Once again, the Vikings have added various players to the tight end group, most recently by claiming Neal Johnson off waivers. Veteran Robert Tonyan and converted wideout N’Keal Harry are perhaps the top threats to unseat Mundt. But he will be on the 53-man roster when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will say goodbye to 38 players next week.
Mundt has shown that he’s a reliable player as a blocker and receiver, and nothing guarantees a roster spot more than the affection of the head coach.
With Hockenson expected to miss the first few games of the season, it will once again be a rotation of Oliver and Mundt. Expect Mundt to catch a handful of passes until Hockenson returns.
The 30-year-old signed a one-year, $2 million deal in March. Since he’s arrived in the Twin Cities, he has played in all 34 games (plus the playoff game), logging 666 snaps on offense and 303 on special teams.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over The Cap and Pro Football Reference 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