Matthew Coller's Vikings training camp preview: Wide receivers, tight ends

Is there a battle for WR3? Who steps in if TJ Hockenson is out?

Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson / Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Alright, we continue our series looking at every position on the Minnesota Vikings roster. Here is a dive into the receivers and tight ends and storylines we’ll be watching in July and August….

Starters

Justin Jefferson

The biggest story from minicamp was that Justin Jefferson signed a long-term extension that will keep him in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. That means that the only story regarding Jefferson in training camp will be his chemistry with new Vikings quarterbacks JJ McCarthy and Sam Darnold. Otherwise there isn’t much to see here other than the show Jefferson typically puts on during camp for fans.

Jordan Addison

Addison said that in Year 2 he wants to be better at getting off the line of scrimmage than he was last season. He had a very strong rookie year (which would have been even better if Kirk Cousins hadn’t gone down with a season-ending injury) that included 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Without a clear-cut WR3 and with TJ Hockenson expected to be out for some time there will be additional pressure on Addison to thrive. Similar to Jefferson, his eye-popping camp catches and chemistry with QBs will be most of note in the summer months.

One thing we will be keeping track is whether the Vikings punish Addison for his recent DUI arrest.

Brandon Powell

Prior to 2023, the veteran receiver was largely a punt return specialist. His career high in receiving was 156 yards. During training camp he was battling Jalen Reagor for the returner job but consistently ended up standing out with his route running and eventually he earned the trust of Kirk Cousins. With injuries abound, Powell ended up playing receiver more than expected and handled his duties well with 29 receptions for 324 yards and one game-winning touchdown against the Falcons.

The trust that he earned must have gone pretty far because the Vikings did not go wild in free agency in search for a new WR3 following the exit of KJ Osborn. Can Powell hold off a bevy of receivers that are coming for his job? Can he solidify himself as even more of a weapon within O’Connell’s offense than last year?

TJ Hockenson

The expectation for Hockenson is that he will not be able to play during the first part of the season after his ACL surgery was delayed. We will be keeping tabs on his progress and whether it’s possible for him to participate in anything this summer.

Depth

Wide receivers:

Jalen Nailor

The praise versus performance ratio with Nailor has not been proportionate so far during his young career. O’Connell has seemed excited about the former Michigan State deep threat since the Vikings drafted him but he only has 12 career receptions. Of course, that’s not exactly his fault because Nailor suffered an injury on the first day of camp last year that held him out for a big chunk of the season and then when he did return he got injured again with a concussion. It appears the team would love to see him step and become an additional weapon on top of what they already have in the starting lineup. If it’s going to happen, it probably has to happen this year. Otherwise that praise is going to fade.

Trent Sherfield

The former Cardinal, 49er, Dolphin and Bill had a breakout year in 2022 with 30 catches for 417 yards with Miami but didn’t see the field much in Buffalo last year. He ended the 2023 season with just 11 catches for 86 yards. Sherfield has a lot of experience playing in the slot and outside, which may help him in an offense that asks receivers do handle a lot of different duties. He should get every opportunity to become a depth receiver, especially with his extensive special teams experience in the past.

Tight ends

Johnny Mundt

Mundt has established himself as a very good backup tight end. Over the last two years he has 44 targets and 36 receptions for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Normally that would lock him into a nice TE2/3 role behind Hockenson and he could be used as an extra run blocker, checkdown option or occasional surprise downfield. This year is different though. If Hockenson is out for any extended period of time, either Mundt will need to show in camp that he can play Hockenson’s role in the offense, as he was asked to do in the final two weeks of the season and performed admirably, or the Vikings may have to look to another backup to do the job.

Josh Oliver

Outside of one memorable fumble, Oliver had a solid debut season for the Vikings. He was a tremendous run blocker and caught 22 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He could also end up being a go-to guy if Hockenson is out for a while.

On the bubble

Trishton Jackson

The former Syracuse receiver has been an offseason king, impressing coaches and teammates during the OTA and training camp periods for several seasons but he hasn’t gotten many opportunities when the actual games come around. He appeared as a receiver in four games and played 80 total snaps, caught two passes for nine yards and missed a chance against Atlanta to catch a touchdown when he was targeted. At 26 and with the race for depth spots wide open there will never be a better chance for Jackson to rise to the occasion.

Lucky Jackson

The former XFL’er briefly appeared in three games last season, mostly playing special teams. At 26 years old he’s been on quite a journey to have an opportunity to fight for a spot. After playing at Western Kentucky he went to the CFL and played just one game for Edmonton. Then he joined the XFL’s DC team and caught 36 passes for 573 yards in 10 games. Since he’s still here after last season that means the Vikings see something worthwhile. Jackson is another dude in a sea of receivers hoping to rise to the top.

Thayer Thomas

The former NC State receiver had a couple of preseason moments with five catches for 41 yards. He also had some regrettable attempts at returning punts. He’s an undersized route-running type with good hands and coordination but not much long speed (ran a 4.57 40). If he can prove that he can create separation and make catches again in camp, Thomas could outperform some of the bigger/stronger/faster players at his position.

Malik Knowles

Speaking of big/strong/fast, Malik Knowles is definitely a couple of those things. He’s 6-foot-2 and ran a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at his pro day and had a tendency in college to make highlight-reel explosive plays. The Vikings brought him in last year but he was waived with a “non-football injury.” O’Connell called that an essential redshirt year for him as this will be his first opportunity to compete in camp. In college he gained 725 yards on just 48 catches and 592 yards on 23 kick returns. He could act as returning competition for Kene Nwangwu.

Jeshaun Jones (R)

The former Maryland receiver signed as an undrafted free agent. He had a very strong 2023 season, catching 56 passes for 790 yards. He enters the NFL at 24 years old, spending his entire career with Maryland. During OTAs and minicamp he had a few quality receptions and showed some smoothness to his game. While he starts low on the depth chart, reps will be available if he makes plays early in camp.

Ty James (R)

James was signed as an undrafted free agent from Mercer. The 6-foot-2 receiver was one of the highest graded players in FCS with 92.2 and 90.2 grades the past two seasons, both of which he cleared 1,000 yards receiving.

Robert Tonyan

After positing two 50-plus-catch seasons in three years with the Packers, Tonyan signed with the Bears last season to add to the depth in their tight end room. But he did not turn out to be a fit and only caught 11 total passes for 112 yards. He was signed in mid-May and immediately looked like he belonged in O’Connell’s system. He may have ended the OTAs and minicamp sessions with as many receptions as anyone on the team, some even being downfield throws from the Vikings’ QBs.

With Hockenson recovering from his ACL injury, Tonyan has a good chance to make the roster if he continues to play well and could get a shot to take the starting job away from Mundt. He has a much bigger sample than Mundt and Oliver as a receiver and similarly played slot and outside receiver spots in Matt LaFleur’s offense in the same way that Hockenson does for O’Connell.

Tonyan will be an interesting redemption story to watch.

Nick Muse

The 2022 seventh-round pick made the 53-man roster following a strong camp last year. He didn’t see action until the final two weeks of the season. He played only on special teams in Week 17 and he caught one pass for 22 yards vs. Detroit in Week 18. Muse missed the spring with an injury but is expected to be back for camp. He will have plenty of competition with three veterans ahead of him. If he can beat out Tonyan or Mundt for a spot it would be a good sign for his career potential going forward.

Trey Knox (R)

The Vikings are looking for upside with Knox, who is a converted wide receiver. He didn’t have top-notch production at South Carolina with only 37 receptions for 312 yards but has potential as a route runner and could land a spot on the practice squad if he impresses.

N’keal Harry

It’s been a strange ride for Harry. He was drafted in the first round by New England, where he topped out at 33 catches over three seasons. He was picked up by the Bears in 2022 and only made seven grabs on nine targets. During camp last season the Vikings picked him up when they had some injuries and he stuck, appearing in nine games as a blocker or special teamer. Now he’s switching positions to tight end. At 6-foot-4 and presumably more than the 225 pounds he’s listed at, Harry has a chance to stick. He’s already a good blocker and has very good hands. His issue was with separation, which won’t apply as much at tight end. The room is crowded though. Will he be able to stand out?

Storylines

How far along will TJ Hockenson be in his recovery from ACL surgery? Who takes over TE1 with him out?

Hockenson’s health is going to have a major effect on the offense. Whether he can surprise everyone and return early or if he misses the entire camp and start of the year will impact which players make the team and how much of a target share the TE position is going to get early in the year. It may end up being on Tonyan/Mundt/Oliver/Muse to prove that someone is capable of holding down Hockenson’s spot for an extended period of time.

Is there really a WR3 battle?

O’Connell indicated at the end of minicamp that he views the WR3 position as being wide open but there aren’t many players who have a track record that would indicate they can overtake a competent receiver for that spot. In an ideal world they might be looking more for situational players who can rotate with Powell depending on the situation. Nailor, for example, is known to be more of a deep threat on the outside than slot-heavy Powell. Of course, you never know who’s going to surprise us. Remember that Adam Thielen guy?

Which underdog receiver will earn a spot?

Even if the top four positions are filled with Jefferson, Addison, Powell and Nailor, that still leaves a spot for somebody. The team is hoping that there’s an all-out battle with young players like Malik Knowles and Jeshaun Jones going back and forth jockeying for position. In the worst case scenario, however, we might be talking about the Vikings looking to the waiver wire on cutdown day with hopes of filling out the fifth position like they did in the past with signings like Aldrick Robinson and Josh Doctson.