2 Vikings Players Changed Positions in the Last 2 Weeks
Position changes for an NFL team aren’t necessarily guaranteed to occur every offseason, but the Minnesota Vikings fired up two in the last two weeks.
2 Vikings Players Changed Positions in the Last 2 Weeks
The franchise ended minicamp one week ago and will now prepare for training camp, which gets underway in about a month. In the meantime, two players changed positions, seemingly out of nowhere.
N’Keal Harry
(WR → TE)
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted on June 4th, the first day of OTAs, “An interesting personnel idea that came to light today: The Vikings still list N’Keal Harry as a WR, but he is working with the tight ends to see if he can contribute there. A former No. 1 pick of the Patriots, Harry is listed at 6-4, 225 lbs.”
Then, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell all but confirmed the switch. “Yeah, I think anytime you’re looking to transition a receiver to, you know the tight end position, and N’Keal is really fired up about it, ” O’Connell said at minicamp. “He has attacked the process long before even we ever got started in the offseason program, but you’re hoping to see the receiving traits kind of lead the way early on as they, you know, get a little bit more comfort in maybe having their hand down and being a part of run schemes.”
The Vikings now have eight tight ends on the summer roster.
O’Connell added, “At this stage in his career a position change is unique, but we’re hoping we’re developing a guy who can be a real third-down weapon, red-zone weapon, with his skill set.”
The move is noteworthy for Minnesota because of T.J. Hockenson’s injury recovery. The Pro Bowl tight end is still recovering from a torn ACL and is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 season. He could shock the world and play Week 1, but that should be considered a longshot. A productive or semi-productive Harry could assist the Vikings’ offense during any portion of missed time from Hockenson.
NaJee Thompson
(CB → Safety)
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis published observations of each Vikings player from the spring and early summer this week, and regarding Thompson, the news was a position change. “NaJee Thompson: Switched positions, but his value remains in his special teams prowess. Likely to make the roster,” Lewis wrote, adding the “S” acronym to the front of his name, denoting a safety, not a cornerback.
On Vikings.com and other major roster websites, Thompson is still listed as a cornerback, so the news might simply travel slowly.
Thompson didn’t play much defense as a rookie — he was on the field for one single defensive snap during the regular season — but experienced extensive action on special teams, enough to gain respect from the masses as a fan favorite.
Heading into the 2023 season, Kevin O’Connell and Co. kept six safeties on the 53-man roster, and if Thompson fully takes the plunge at the spot, the club might be forced to keep seven — or cut someone like Lewis Cine or Theo Jackson at the end of the summer.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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