Opting for a RD1 WR Would Contradict The Overall Offseason Direction
K. Joudry
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Recently, there has been some speculation that the Vikings may opt for one of this year’s talented young wideouts in the opening round. My interview with Phil Mackey included this precise opinion. In Mackey’s mind, opting to draft a RD1 receiver makes sense given that the Vikings will need their offense to be top-tier to contend in 2022.
It’s the pursuit of 2022 contention that gives me pause, though.
One could argue that receiver is the deepest position on Minnesota’s roster. Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are among the best tandems in the NFL. If both stay healthy, they may end up being the best receiver pair this season. Including K.J. Osborn gives Minnesota a great top 3, and don’t forget that Ihmir Smith-Marsette showed promise at the end of the year.
We also need to remember that having a great passing attack is about more than just having strong receivers (as important as they are). Irv Smith Jr. will hopefully blossom in Year 4. The RBs – Cook, Mattison, and Nwangwu – could certainly do more as pass catchers. To my mind, then, Minnesota has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to skill players capable of catching passes from Mr. Cousins.
Now, there’s no such thing as having too many weapons on one’s team. Adding another dynamic receiver would further stress opposing defenses, continually putting them in a no-win scenario. Plus, Thielen is getting older, and the recent receiver deals probably inspire some concern among NFL executives (Jefferson is going to make a lot of money soon).
Even still, choosing to draft a receiver in the opening round would feel like a contradictory move from the Vikings.
Throughout free agency, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has tried to thread the needle. Neither a rebuild nor a foolish all-in mindset have beset Minnesota’s new GM. Instead, he has tried to find the delicate balance of being competitive in 2022 while giving the team flexibility as early as 2023 (but more likely 2024).
It’s clear that winning this year is a high priority. If that wasn’t the case, then the team wouldn’t have opted for vets like Za’Darius Smith, Jordan Hicks, and Chris Reed. These are all players who the leadership believes will make the Vikings stronger in 2022 and 2023.
What I’m trying to suggest, then, is that the opening round of the draft will likely feature the Vikings avoiding a receiver. The most pressing needs on the team are corner, EDGE, and iOL. Unless there’s someone who is significantly better than anyone who plays one of those positions, then I expect the Vikings to sink their opening round selection into an area of need. The goal is to compete in 2022, so adding talent to address a major need would be the most consistent approach.
An interesting detail to consider is that a trade down makes a receiver more plausible. Bringing in, say, another second might be enough to convince Minnesota’s leadership to choose a RD1 receiver since they could reasonably get some great help in the next round.
Forced to bet, I’d say that the Vikings avoid receiver in the first round of the draft. As of the writing of this piece, though, KAM hasn’t called to ask for my opinion, so we’ll see what the new GM decides.
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