No WR3 Signed. Vikings Could Target One in Draft.
Let’s make this clear: The Minnesota Vikings assuredly do not need a showstopping wide receiver in the 2021 NFL Draft. Well, at least not in the 1st Round with the team’s 14th pick.
Yet, few folks associated with the team or its fans would balk at pairing Justin Jefferson with another high-octane wideout for future planning. Adam Thielen will turn 31 years old before the 2021 season begins, so his production, in theory, could dip at any point. The Minnesota State alumnus has tremendous hands, and that bodes well for his continued career wavelength. And it should be noted that Thielen’s statistical output has not started to crater – he’s even becoming more prolific in scoring touchdowns. Thielen has scored 20 times in his last 25 games.
Ideally, the Vikings would coalesce the best player available conviction with team roster need on draft night. Only a few players on the board [as of early April] do that, though. Rashawn Slater, an offensive lineman from Northwestern, and perhaps Kwity Paye, an EDGE rusher from Michigan, are examples.
In the end, however, a flashy wide receiver may be too irresistible – especially if five quarterbacks fly off the board on draft night per the current pundit consensus.
The 1st-Round Option
Teams not named the Vikings stretching their draft boards for quarterbacks makes for draft-night glory as far as Minnesota is concerned. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is under contract – at a lofty price – through 2022. The temptation to draft his replacement is low.
But if other teams spring for a Mac Jones type, then the Vikings will salivate at the early draft happenings on April 29th. Players like DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Rashawn Slater, or even Kyle Pitts may tumble as a result.
On the aforementioned names and the notion their names could trickle down the board, the possibility is always greeted with a “there’s no way he falls that far” sentiment. Not all of the men mentioned above will get lonely early on draft night. But weird stuff happens during a draft. Daniel Jones wasn’t supposed to go to the New York Giants in the Top 10 during the 2019 draft. Henry Ruggs should not have been the first wideout chosen in 2020 – yet he was.
Although the odds are slim, a player like DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle could fall to the Vikings. Sans a true WR3, Roger Goodell could announce one of those names to Minnesota.
3rd Round or Later
A more plausible reality: The Vikings pick a WR3 in the 3rd Round of the draft or later. Head coach Mike Zimmer notoriously divests from a star-studded WR3 inside his offense. In the make-or-break year of 2021 for him, perhaps the team will pluck a wideout after the 1st Round.
Names said to be available then: Marques Stevenson (Houston), Tylan Wallace (Oklahoma State), Shi Smith (South Carolina), Sage Surratt (Wake Forest), Seth Williams (Auburn), Trevon Grimes (Florida), etc.
Otherwise, It’s As-Is
What will probably happen: Minnesota commits to another year of Chad Beebe and Bisi Johnson as “good enough.” The receiving corps as a whole in 2020 certainly did not struggle. And soon-to-be third-year tight end Irv Smith Jr. is theorized to take a robust next step with Kyle Rudolph now playing for the Giants.
If one is not satisfied with that lineup of pass-catchers, remember that Dalvin Cook plays for the team – and he can catch the football with the best of them.
The Vikings have not touted a bonafide WR3 in years. The last semblance of one was Jarius Wright, and that was 2017. Laquon Treadwell was scheduled to fill the role, and his career never materialized. Hell, he was hypothesized to be the WR1 when drafted with the 23rd overall pick in 2016. Thankfully, at the time of his entry to the league, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen were cementing their statuses as stars in the league. It made the emotional blow of Treadwell’s struggles roll off the shoulders of Vikings enthusiasts.
Indeed, the Vikings need offensive line help – and probably a more-electric defensive end than Stephen Weatherly to start opposite Danielle Hunter. The team will certainly address the offensive line stuff in a capacity they see fit.
But also be prepared for something funky to shakedown if Smith or Waddle are looming at No. 14.
