Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Texas Christian wide receiver Jalen Reagor (WO45) speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings swung a deal last week for Philadelphia Eagles wideout Jalen Reagor, sending a conditional 4th-Round pick (2024) and a 7th-Rounder (2023) easterly for the 23-year-old.
And on Labor Day, shots of Reagor in Vikings apparel surfaced for the first time, thanks to NFL on CBS.
Reagor personally shared a photo, too, from his Twitter account.
Reagor was selected — rather infamously — one pick before Vikings pass-catcher Justin Jefferson in the 2020 NFL Draft. Minnesota’s brass snickered at the lunacy of the pick at the time, but now Reagor and Jefferson play for the Vikings.
With the Eagles, the TCU alumnus has recorded 64 catches for 695 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 28 career games. Those totals aren’t too shabby — for a 3rd- or 4th-Round wide receiver. Because Reagor is a 1st-Round talent, his bar is higher than most, so he’ll hope to enhance his productivity in the Vikings new offense.
Adding Reagor “this late” in the offseason or preseason is strange for Vikings fans because any late-summer trades usually involve players like Yannick Ngakoue, Chris Herndon, or Kaare Vedvick. Rarely in recent years has Minnesota pulled off a last-minute move to get richer on offense. The Zimmer Vikings would emphasize defense and then make trades for men like Herdon in a panicky manner.
Reagor intertwines a sneaky twist to the Vikings 2022 offensive strategy. At TCU, he was an electric deep threat with game-changing speed. But thus far with the Eagles, Reagor has only been targeted 111 times in two years. While that’s not nothing, it pales in comparison to Jefferson’s 196 targets in 2020 and 2021.
The Vikings hope to resurrect some of the Reagor big-play voodoo. The dip from TCU to Philadelphia was noticeable:
Reagor and the Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium. He’s expected to play WR4 behind Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn, as well as field punt returns.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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