Kevin O’Connell Loses One of His Most Trusted Players
The Minnesota Vikings had one of the smaller free agency classes of the league, but it still included a couple of nice contributors. One of those is headed to the AFC West.
The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly snag Jalen Nailor, Minnesota’s 2022 draft pick.
Expected to have a robust market according to various reports over the last few days and weeks, Nailor got his significant paycheck from the receiver-needy Raiders.
Adam Schefter, ESPN, reported on social media, “Raiders have agreed to terms with WR Jalen Nailor on a three-year, $35 million deal including $23 million guaranteed, per Ken Sarnoff and Joe DiBenedetto of 1 Of 1 Agency.”
Nailor was a consistent contributor over the last couple of seasons in Minnesota’s offense. He was the one receiver who kept steady production even with the quarterback downgrade that robbed his teammates of their numbers in the passing game.
Kevin O’Connell said last summer, “He had a great year last year. There’s always gonna be some plays here and there that you want back, but I thought just the ability for him to step in early after Jordan (Addison) gets the ankle (injury) against the Giants, to have the training camp that Speedy did to be able to handle what we asked of him, not only in the weeks that followed but in that game against the Giants, to basically assume multiple roles, I thought that was really a precursor to what was a great year for Speedy, showing such versatility.”
Nailor was part of O’Connell’s first Draft class. When the coach needed a player to come down with the ball in a do-or-die situation versus Detroit in 2025, he dialed up a pass to Nailor. And that was just one of several crucial catches he made.
With his departure, the Vikings lose their WR3. While Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison remain as the strong one-two punch every quarterback would love to throw to, the depth behind them is a work in progress. The vacancy opens the door for last year’s pick Tai Felton to pick up some targets.
Alec Lewis and Dianna Russini of The Athletic wrote, “The Vikings wanted to keep Nailor, whom they drafted in the sixth round in 2022. He developed and contributed more each season. Working with receivers coach Keenan McCardell, Nailor progressed into a separator and a willing run blocker. His production never took off, though, as Nailor never caught more than 29 passes in a season. But that was mostly because the Vikings viewed superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, fellow first-rounder Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson as the team’s primary pass catchers.”
Nailor arrived in 2022 and it’s not unfair to say he was the only draft pick of that class that worked out. The Michigan State alum was buried on the depth chart in his rookie campaign as Jefferson, as well as Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn, were available all year.
He still stole the show in a blowout loss against Green Bay in Week 17 when he emerged as a true playmaker.
The following year was supposed to be a breakout campaign, but Nailor struggled with injuries all year and barely played. The breakout was delayed to 2024 when he became a trusted weapon for Sam Darnold, scoring 6 touchdowns and eclipsing 400 yards for the first time.
That feat was repeated in 2025 despite the uneven quarterback play. He caught 57 passes for 858 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two seasons. In Las Vegas, he enters a receiver room that lacks talent. Therefore, he should quickly find a reasonable role in the passing attack that will feature 1st overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.
More from the crew of The Athletic, “Multiple teams expressed interest in Nailor in recent months. One NFC evaluator, whose team eyed Nailor, even suggested that they saw Nailor as a potential 80-catch option. Betting on an uptick in numbers is sensible. He possesses vertical speed. He runs routes well. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. And he understood all of the positions in Minnesota’s complex offensive system.”
Too expensive for the Vikings, Nailor is now paid like a solid WR2. The Raiders could still sign or draft wideouts, but for now, he’ll slot in as one of the top targets next to Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker.
Nailor just turned 27.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.