Be Prepared for WR Blake Proehl to Make the Vikings 53-Man Roster
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings enjoy lunchpail guys at wide receiver and seemingly employ one per offseason. During the Mike Zimmer era, the franchise has a documented track record of auditioning pass-catchers like Adam Thielen, Chad Beebe, Brandon Zylstra, Moritz Böhringer, etc.
Now, that tendency has spilled into 2021 as Blake Proehl from East Carolina University joined the team as an undrafted free agent. With the WR1 and WR2 spots on the depth cemented for Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, the race to nominate a formal WR3 and WR4 is underway.
For a very long time — arguably since 2014 or 2015 — the Vikings have skimmed over the importance of employing a bonafide WR3. Jarius Wright filled the task rather with competence, but he was not overly prolific, and he left the team after the 2017 season.
Per Bleacher Report, though, Proehl will take a swing at the job. BR released an analysis on Friday detailing one undrafted free agent from each NFL squad that will make the team. This year for the purple and gold, that might be Proehl per Brent Sobleski:
“The 2021 season may be Adam Thielen’s last with the Minnesota Vikings. The financial realities of the situation can’t be overlooked. Thielen’s salary-cap charge escalates to nearly $17 million next season. The numbers exceed $17 million in 2023 and ’24. Trade rumors already surfaced last year. Plus, the Vikings won’t have significant financial wiggle room next season even if the salary cap increases by $10 million. Maybe lightning can strike twice for the Vikings with another undrafted wide receiver. Minnesota signed East Carolina’s Blake Proehl to an undrafted free-agent deal that includes $115,000 guaranteed, per Wilson. In three seasons, Proehl caught 130 passes for 1,576 yards and nine touchdowns. His potential contributions lie in his route running and reliability as a pass-catcher. He’s a 6’1″, 186-pound target with 4.47-second 40-yard-dash speed and NFL bloodlines, as his father, Rickly, played 17 seasons in the league.“
WR3 for the 2021 Vikings is totally up in the air. The mini-incumbents, Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe, should be considered the frontrunners, although their respective performances from 2019 and 2020 indicate they are the “serviceable” type — not a Jake Reed-like third threat downfield.
General Manager Rick Spielman drafted Ihmir Marsette-Smith, a tantalizing talent from the University of Iowa during the recent draft. He’s from the University of Iowa and has that initial “Diggian” vibe because he was found in the 5th Round (like Diggs). However, he may be too raw to start out of the gate.
Rumors also swirl that the Vikings are interested in Dede Westbrook — a pass-catcher with ties to Vikings WR coach Keenan McCardell from the Jacksonville days. If acquired by the Vikings, Westbrook would instantly fill the lonely WR3 rung on the depth chart as the 27-year-old played astutely as a WR3 under flimsy quarterbacks in Jacksonville.
If the job somehow lands with Proehl, here is what the wide receiver brings to the table, per a scouting report from The Draft Network‘s Joe Marino:
“Blake Proehl is the son of former NFL wide receiver and coach Ricky Proehl. His older brother, Austin, played his college football at UNC and was a seventh-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills. Blake played in the slot in 2018 for East Carolina, but primarily aligned out wide in 2019 and 2020. At the next level, I believe Proehl is best suited to play from the slot due to his lack of functional strength and threat as a vertical receiver. Proehl is a detailed and fluid route-runner with excellent hands. With that said, he doesn’t have dynamic separation quickness, long speed, vertical receiving skills, or the ability to create after the catch. If he gets the chance to play in a West Coast offense with a rhythm-based quarterback, Proehl can function well, but asking him to run elongated routes and separate down the field doesn’t bode well for his skill set. Special teams and becoming an elite route-runner from the slot in the right situation is his best chance to carve out a meaningful role at the next level.“
Also, keep an eye on Shane Zylstra, brother of the aforementioned Brandon — he’s the other lunchpail story this offseason. And, he went to Minnesota State University — Adam Thielen’s alma mater.