Vikings UFA Profile: WR K.J. Osborn

Osborn has been a valuable part of the Vikings' offense over the past few seasons.

Will Ragatz | Feb 13, 2024

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Minnesota Vikings

With the 2023 season in the books, Inside the Vikings is taking a look at all 22 of Minnesota's pending unrestricted free agents over the course of a few weeks. We're examining their past and speculating about their future, particularly the likelihood that they could be re-signed by the Vikings this offseason. We started from the least important (Hakeem Adeniji) and are working our way up to the big fish (Kirk Cousins).

Vikings UFA profile: WR K.J. Osborn

Age: 26
2023 stats: 75 targets, 48 receptions, 540 yards, 3 touchdowns
2023 contract AAV: $891K

Drafted in the fifth round back in 2020, K.J. Osborn unquestionably returned value for the Vikings over the course of his rookie contract. But even though he's been an important all-around player in Kevin O'Connell's offense, he might ultimately be replaceable this offseason as the team looks to invest its resources into other position groups.

Osborn, who played his college football at Buffalo and Miami, didn't have a single reception as a rookie. That made his breakout 2021 season — when he posted a 50-655-7 line alongside Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen — all the more impressive. Osborn had a receiving touchdown in five of the final six games of that campaign. He followed that up with another solid WR3 season in 2022 as the Vikings transitioned to O'Connell's scheme, going for 60-650-5 with another TD in the postseason. That season was highlighted by the biggest game of his career, a 10-157-1 performance in the Vikings' 33-point comeback against the Colts.

This past season, the Vikings replaced Thielen with rookie Jordan Addison and were without Jefferson for seven-plus games. Still, Osborn's numbers took a slight step back in a contract year, dropping to 48-540-3 with just two games above 50 yards and a career-high seven drops (per PFF). The drops were surprising to see after he had just two in 2021 and '22 combined.

When he isn't struggling with drops, Osborn is a rock-solid WR3. He's a possession receiver who does much of his work in the intermediate area of the field, averaging 11.7 yards per catch for his career. His speed and route-running are nothing spectacular, but he has some sneaky big-play ability and red zone value. He's also a capable run blocker from the slot or the boundary.

Speculatively, it feels like Osborn will likely wind up signing elsewhere this spring. He'll want to maximize his earnings on the free agent market after spending four years on a fifth-round rookie-scale contract, and the Vikings will presumably prioritize spending in other areas (particularly the defensive side of the ball). They've got Jefferson, Addison, and Jalen Nailor under contract next year, and they could choose to draft another receiver in the middle or late rounds instead of paying Osborn on his second contract. Brandon Powell would also be a cheaper in-house free agent option.

Previous Vikings UFA profiles:

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Published Feb 13, 2024

WILL RAGATZ