A Promising Vikings Player Shined in his Recent Job Interview
In a lot of ways, NFL players participate in a job interview every time they step onto the field. The on-field product is the most important part of one’s résumé.
Young Vikings player Jalen Nailor did quite well in Week 15.
If one’s only exposure to Minnesota football was the Sunday Night Football victory, then that person could reasonably step away with the conclusion that Nailor is Minnesota’s most dangerous receiver. He had his 5 targets turn into 3 catches for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns. Notably, the man came up in huge moments, making difficult plays in what was a hard-fought win. Does he have a future in Minnesota?
Jalen Nailor, A Promising Vikings Player, Shined in W15
The roster has a built-in replacement to take on the WR3 job next season: Mr. Tai Felton.
The rookie receiver got scooped up in the 3rd Round of the 2025 NFL Draft. With the No. 102 selection, Felton became a Viking, doing so with some optimism since he’s a long receiver who possess blazing speed. Maybe he could get grafted into the Kevin O’Connell offense as an early deep threat, someone to take the ceiling off the defense to shake loose for long scores.
But then reality has hit and the impact on offense has been close to zero.
Felton is buried on the depth chart, coming in as the WR4 after the decision to trade away Adam Thielen. But while there’s not too much opportunity for Felton currently, there likely is once Jalen Nailor gets into free agency.
The 6th-Round selection from the 2022 NFL Draft is exceeding expectations.
Snagging an impact WR3 at No. 191 is fine work from GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The season’s statistics have Mr. Nailor coming in at 26 catches for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns. His 15.2 yards-per-reception average is impressive, a very strong number that helps to corroborate his “Speedy” nickname. Note, too, that these numbers are arriving from within an offense where he’s the third receiver and where he has competition for targets from Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson.
In all likelihood, Nailor is going to venture to a different team in the offseason. Such is the reality of a Vikings team that’s well into debt before the 2026 offseason arrives.
Plus, the Vikings haven’t had too much appetite for paying a WR3 since Adofo-Mensah took over. The team allowed K.J. Osborn to walk away for just $4 million. So, too, did they let Trent Sherfield venture to Denver once the contract got into the $3 million range annually.
One has to assume that Nailor is going to cost too much to keep around.
Already, the Vikings are dishing out major money for Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson. Plus, the team will likely have some desire to keep Jordan Addison around; the WR2 has immense ability but has been held back by off-field issues and poor quarterback play. Seeing him turn into an annual 1,000-yard receiver won’t be surprising to anybody in the Twin Cities.
So, Jalen Nailor may be a victim of his own success, at least as it relates to getting paid in Minnesota.
The good thing for the receiver is that he has been acing his job interviews. Teams around the NFL will be taking notice. Basically everyone wants to add more weapons, especially in circumstances such as Buffalo or Kansas City where the quarterback could use a bit more help.
Nailor, 26, will look to keep the good times rolling in Week 16 versus the Giants, a terrible football team.
