WR3 Emerges Easily in Vikings Preseason Week 1
All offseason, there have been questions about how the Minnesota Vikings would handle their third wide receiver position. Of course, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison represent arguably the best tandem in football, but they will need help. The competition has been presumed to be between a pair of contestants, but Jalen Nailor put everyone on notice Saturday.
WR3 Emerges Easily in Vikings Preseason Week 1
A season ago, Kevin O’Connell utilized former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandon Powell in an additional wideout role. Powell is a veteran who has largely been used on special teams, but he flashed in a few spots. That production looked to give him an edge coming into training camp, but Jalen Nailor has always loomed large.
Coming out of Michigan State, Nailor has been something of an exciting prospect for years. The problem has been his inability to remain healthy and on the field. This season, he has risen above that reality, which has afforded him an opportunity that has otherwise passed him by.
Although it will and should be, J.J. McCarthy, who drew the headlines from the first preseason game, Nailor probably did himself the most favors. Working with Sam Darnold and McCarthy, Nailor hauled 3-of-4 targets for 63 yards. He ran crisp routes, held on after big hits, and hauled a long catch of 26 yards. Dressed and on the field for more than a handful of snaps, Brandon Powell didn’t draw a single target.
It shouldn’t be overlooked what the chemistry appeared to look like between Nailor and his quarterbacks. Darnold has worked as the starter, and Nailor has earned first-team reps in training camp. McCarthy has also recorded first-team reps, and Nailor has worked as a top option in backup drills. The crossover between the two quarterbacks has given him comfort with both players, and his production gets spread between them.
It’s a minimal sample in a preseason game, and with just four targets, there isn’t much to go off of. It is hard not to come away impressed by how polished Nailor looked and how Powell got no looks.
Nailor has missed a considerable amount of time thus far during his professional career, but it appears he has done plenty of work behind the scenes.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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