The Vikings Want a Triple Threat
Although the Vikings missed on their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, they hit on a few others, and one of them has a trio of talent emerging like we haven’t seen in over a decade.
When Dede Westbrook showed up in Eagan, there was plenty of buzz surrounding a big name that could take over as a third receiver. Kirk Cousins already had elite talent in Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson at his disposal, but a slot producer had proven elusive for Mike Zimmer’s scheme. Westbrook wound up making zero starts, though, compiled just 68 yards and watched K.J. Osborn eat his lunch.
Osborn drew the start in game one and had a coming-out party of sorts. With nine receptions, he’d not only recorded the first of his career but set a nice bar. A week later, Osborn found the end zone for the first time, and he was off and running in a season that no doubt cements him as a focal part of the offensive talent.
When the dust settled last season, Osborn recorded 50 receptions totaling 655 yards with seven touchdowns. He averaged 13.1 yards per reception and played almost entirely out of the slot. With Justin Jefferson taking yet another step forward and the emergence of Tyler Conklin, it was beyond encouraging to see Osborn find a way to contribute.
Heading into the upcoming season, Osborn will be expected to further solidify his role. While Kevin O’Connell may deploy his personnel differently, there’s no denying the production warrants a steady role. Kirk Cousins’ 147.4 passer rating when targeting Osborn in the slot was number one among receivers this past season per Pro Football Focus.
The new head coach is no stranger to squeezing production from additional places. Despite a two-wide threat featuring Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr., Van Jefferson carved out a substantial place in the Los Angeles Rams offense. Tyler Higbee has been one of the better offensive tight ends in the league, and early on last season, Robert Woods got his fair share of action. Even with plenty of mouths to feed, it’s clear O’Connell is plenty capable of scheming to keep the opposition guessing.
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Although we’ll need to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the exact role Osborn will play next season, Vikings fans can dream of something we saw when Jake Reed was sandwiched between two Hall of Famers.
Randy Moss and Cris Carter did plenty to keep defensive backs spinning, and Reed was a dynamic threat on his own. A 5th round pick working himself into that position would be a great get for the incoming regime. Whether it’s Cousins or another signal-caller, that level of reliability from a safety blanket would prove invaluable for Minnesota.
Despite playing in nine games without any offensive contribution during his rookie year, Osborn made the leap in a big way for the Vikings, and it’s probably just scratching the surface.