Will Vikings Start to Reveal More Tai Felton?
The advantage of completely blowing a team away like the Minnesota Vikings did to the Washington Commanders last Sunday. It gave Kevin O’Connell the chance to use the fourth quarter and give playing time to the young/fringe players.
Will the Vikings begin to reveal more of rookie receiver Tai Felton as the offense evolves, or will his role stay limited for now?
It was the first time O’Connell had such an opportunity since the Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. One player who got on the field on both occasions was third-round rookie wide receiver Tai Felton. The rookie WR caught his only target on both occasions: a 9-yard reception against the Bengals and a 10-yard reception against the Commanders on a screen pass that was good for a first down.
It Should Be Tai Felton’s Turn before Too Long
Felton showed his speed and twitchiness with two Washington defenders bearing down on him and no blockers to help; he beat them to the outside, turning a possible five-yard gain into a 10-yard gain. Admittedly, this was against a worn-down defense, but the ability to make a defender miss, and is it undoubtedly time for a third-round pick to start seeing the field?
A Role as an Extension of the Run Game
Felton has found himself buried on the depth chart at WR5 in a struggling offense this season. That wouldn’t have been what the Vikings had in mind when they used a Day 2 draft pick on a WR. O’Connell has led a pass-happy and effective offense since coming to Minnesota — alas, not this year.
The departure of Adam Thielen has moved Felton up the depth chart. However, with the Vikings seemingly moving to leaning on the rushing attack to help JJ McCarthy, we still shouldn’t expect a ton of targets for the team’s WR4 — Thielen averaged 1.6 targets a game this season.
However, the screen pass is an extension of the run game, and when used correctly with the right players, it can be very effective. Felton has the skill set to be successful, and the more players the Vikings can use in the screen game, the better. His work on special teams also shows he should be able to make a block when it’s not his turn to get the ball.
With the last four games of the 2025 season being all about preparing for next season, finding some playing time for a third-round rookie should be part of the plan.
Felton in Comparison to Other Rookie WRs
When the Vikings drafted Felton, they probably intended for him to be the team’s specialist returner. He has taken six kickoff returns out for a total of 149 yards, but undrafted rookie Myles Price took the job of lead returner on both kickoffs and punts this season.
What should the expectations be for a Day 2 rookie? Let’s look at how the other rookie WRs are faring this season. The following table shows 11 WRs that were drafted in the third and fourth rounds of this year’s draft.
| Pick | Player (team) | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| 69 | Kyle Williams (NE) | 5 | 143 | 2 |
| 70 | Isaac TeSlaa (DET) | 8 | 120 | 4 |
| 74 | Pat Bryant (DEN) | 22 | 305 | 1 |
| 79 | Jaylin Noel (HOU) | 22 | 225 | 1 |
| 87 | Savion Williams (GB) | 10 | 78 | 1 |
| 102 | Tai Felton (MIN) | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| 103 | Chimere Dike (TEN) | 34 | 284 | 3 |
| 108 | Dont’e Thornton (LV) | 8 | 123 | 0 |
| 110 | Arian Smith (NYJ) | 6 | 47 | 0 |
| 128 | Jaylin Lane (WAS) | 16 | 225 | 0 |
| 133 | Jalen Royals (KC) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 136 | Elic Ayomanor (TEN) | 30 | 353 | 3 |
Except for Jalen Royals, who hasn’t seen a target playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. Felton’s receiving stats are the lowest because he’s not getting opportunities.
When the team trades for a veteran to play ahead of you, and then waives them before the season is finished, it brings up the question of whether a WR in the third round was the right choice. It’s not what I would have done back in April, with defensive back looking a bigger priority both then and now.
However, that decision has been made, so now it’s time for the Vikings to get a better look at what they have in Felton. One or two designed plays per game to get him the ball quickly should be good for McCarthy and the team.
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