A New Physical WR? The Vikings Chatted with One.
The Minnesota Vikings are known as one of the teams with the best receiving corps in the entire NFL, and they are obviously led by Justin Jefferson, perhaps the best wideout of his generation. When the franchise paired him with Jordan Addison two years ago, they hoped to create an explosive duo, and that surely has been the case.
A New Physical WR? The Vikings Met with One.
However, the Vikings lack a certain type of receiver. Both Addison and Jefferson are finesse players, so neither is overly physical. WR3 Jalen Nailor isn’t either, and Rondale Moore, the recent signing, is 5-7, and he also fails to qualify for the “physical” label.
The draft could be a way to acquire one of those guys. Minnesota recently virtually met with Oregon’s Traeshon Holden.
Holden recently told The Draft Network: “I have a workout with the Seattle Seahawks. I met with teams at the NFL Combine and at my Pro Day as well. I’ve chatted with the Vikings, Ravens, Giants, Steelers, Bengals, Seahawks, and Titans, as well.”
After three slower seasons at Alabama, Holden transferred to Oregon in 2023. Last season, he produced 45 catches for 718 yards and five touchdowns in Oregon’s inaugural Big Ten campaign. Pretty impressive is his knack for finding the end zone, as he scored 17 times over the last three seasons on only 107 catches.
At 6-2, 205 lbs, Holden can bring the necessary physicality to the table the Vikings have been lacking. However, he thinks his advantage is his quickness in addition to that bigger body.
“There are a lot of cornerbacks in the league who can match my size. I love to use strength, quickness, and my feet to my advantage in coverage. You see a lot of bigger receivers like me, but a lot of them don’t move as well as I do. I feel like I have great feet. I move well for my size. I get open. I try to marry my feet with my strength. I can throw them off my trail a little bit.”
Indeed, it is hard to consistently win in the NFL the same way over and over again. Having a versatile skillset is key.
The Sean McVay coaching tree also puts a lot of emphasis on the ability to block. Kevin O’Connell watched Trent Sherfield depart in free agency; it remains to be seen whether Tim Jones, the other signed receiver, can fill that void.
Holden is confident in his versatility, including his willingness to block, “[NFL teams] see me playing inside and outside. They know I can get down and dirty in the trenches a little bit as well. I don’t have a problem going down there with the big guys to block.”
The 23-year-old doesn’t have the speed to make big plays down the field outside of winning contested catches, but the Vikings employ some other playmakers. He would be a sweet complement to Jefferson and his crew.
Oregon’s receiver is expected to be a late-round pick and possibly even fall out of the draft. If he lands in the pool of undrafted rookies, the Vikings could go after him, as they’ve shown an unusual aggressiveness in pursuing such players.
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