A Vikings Depth Receiver Isn’t Going Down Without a Fight
Jeshaun Jones, a Vikings depth receiver, is being left for dead by some. Goodness, some who follow the Minnesota Vikings may not even know who he is. Do note, though, that the third-year player has a shot.
Jones still is facing an uphill battle to make the final roster. Sitting atop the receiver position is a cluster of talent consisting of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings. Essentially nothing will dislodge those guys from the WR1, WR2, and WR3 jobs short of some form of extenuating circumstances (injury, suspension, and so on). What’s notable, though, is that Jefferson thinks that Jones is taking steps forward.
Vikings Depth Receiver Has a Shot at Securing the WR4 Job
Check out the word from Jefferson, somebody who knows a thing or two about playing receiver:
For the most part, Jefferson is being fairly political. Everyone is getting better, says Jefferson, meaning anybody can be a playmaker who mirrors himself, Addison, and Jennings. But while that’s the overwhelming message, Jefferson does carve out room for a pair of specific players: Tai Felton and Jeshaun Jones.
Quite possibly, those two receivers — Felton and Jones — are battling for a single spot.
What’s standing in the way of Jones is that he needs to prove capable of shining on specials. Myles Price, technically a receiver, was on the 53-man roster last year due to being a punt returner. Seeing Price again get onto the final roster will be due to the same abilities: proving to be a steady yet explosive returner.
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During the 2025 season, Felton was shining as a gunner, proving to be somebody who was a terror in punt coverage. He’s very likely to partner with Tavierre Thomas to yet again be a fantastic part of the Matt Daniels special teams effort.
Jones needs to prove capable of helping somewhere on specials. Quite possibly, Jones is looked at as being the PR2. So be it. But then there needs to be an added role for Coach Daniels to justify anything other than a spot on the practice squad. Becoming the KR1 while also being somebody who does some heavy lifting in coverage could do the trick.
Jeshaun Jones first arrived in Minnesota in 2024, getting added following the 2024 NFL Draft. He secured strong guaranteed cash: $235,000 (OTC). Clearly, acquiring Jones was a priority.
Likewise, the Vikings’ effort to keep the receiver within the team’s orbit is a sure sign that there’s optimism about what he can do. The former Terrapin was on the practice squad in both of 2024 and 2025, getting bumped up toward the end of last season. Keeping Jones attached to the team, if only in a modest manner, suggests he inspires a certain degree of belief in where he can go if he gets more opportunity to soak up coaching and development.
Making the final roster means proving to be more worthy of a roster spot than Price, Felton, Dillon Bell, and/or various others. At most, the team is going to keep a half dozen receivers; a trio of those slots are already filled in Jefferson, Addison, and Jennings. The battle for those final three spots are therefore going to be intense, to say the least.
Jeshaun Jones, 26, stands at 6’1″ and weighs roughly 190 pounds.
