One Viking Won the 1st Week of Training Camp
The Minnesota Vikings need a WR3 to ascend the depth chart, and one man made his case for the job at training camp, at least for the first week, standing off the page more than his peers.
One Viking Won the 1st Week of Training Camp
He’s Jalen Nailor, a third-year wideout selected by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in the 6th Round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Nailor’s name popped up every day last week, including oodles of highlight-reel receptions posted by the Vikings’ social media team. For now, Nailor, Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Trishton Jackson are vying for the third receiver assignment, and Nailor feels like the frontrunner.
The speedster, too, commented on his theatrics in Eagan. “I felt real comfortable with the offense. Going into the third year, I’m just trying to be as versatile as I can,” Nailor told reporters last weekend. “I definitely feel I can fit into that role (WR3) well. I can play both inside and outside really well, moving around in the offense, you know, so just having that, the mindset is to just be able to play all three positions. I feel like that gives me a good bump.”
Those comments arrive after plays like this:
Others noted Nailor’s standout performance, particularly The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis. “When Jalen Nailor is healthy, he stands out. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell directed the Vikings receivers through early drills Wednesday, and Nailor appeared bulkier than in years past,” Lewis wrote last Thursday. “If he stays healthy, he is likely the internal favorite to be the team’s No. 3 receiver, a role O’Connell discussed Wednesday. For as much faith as the staff has in Brandon Powell and Trishton Jackson, it still feels like the Vikings could add a more experienced and reliable option at this spot.”
Nailor recorded 9 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown in his rookie campaign (2022), along with some flamboyant clips to satiate fans’ appetites for his long-term trajectory. Incidentally, Nailor did most of his damage in “garbage time” that season and will hope to repeat the production — and then some — in the middle of games at some point in 2024.
In that limited sample, Nailor showed the gumption to thrive at the NFL level, and it will be up to him to determine if he’s got the grit for WR3 every week. He laid the blueprint down the stretch of 2022. His 2023 campaign was quiet and injury-riddled.
Nailor’s summer emergence shouldn’t be too surprising, however. Kevin O’Connell said about Nailor last month, “Jalen has always been a guy that when he’s healthy and on the field, he shows up on every single opportunity he’s gotten. That’s our challenge to him. Sometimes things are out of your control, and we understand that, but for him to take that next step, we’re going to need to see him out there a lot as part of that group.”
With the regular season less than six weeks away, WR3 may be Nailor’s job to lose, especially because Minnesota continues to ignore free agents like Hunter Renfrow and Michael Thomas.
Folks will cross their fingers and hope Nailor can remain healthy — that’s his only real kryptonite.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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