Vikings Must Continue to Find a Role for One Playmaker
The Minnesota Vikings have a glut of playmakers on offense to call upon. So far this season, one slightly under-the-radar player has quietly been performing well. That man is Jalen Nailor. With Jordan Addison’s return this week, Kevin O’Connell needs to make sure that Nailor is still factored into the game plan.
VikingsTerritory looks at why the Vikings must continue to find a role for one playmaker.
Anybody interested in the Vikings is excited to see the return of Jordan Addison following a three-game suspension. The 2023 first-round draft pick has proven himself to be an excellent foil to Justin Jefferson as the Vikings’ WR2 and even shown he has the talent to lead the Vikings receiving corps when Jefferson has been injured.
Addison looked sharp in the preseason, building a connection with JJ McCarthy, but as he returns from suspension, he finds Minnesota’s young QB injured and Carson Wentz under center – a man he hadn’t caught a pass from until practice this week.
I don’t expect O’Connell to have any qualms about putting Addison straight into his WR2 role. This leads to the question of who will be third in line for targets from the wide receiver position. The Vikings traded for an old friend in Adam Thielen to seemingly fill Addison’s role while he was out. However, Thielen’s impact over the first three games has been minimal – just two receptions for 26 yards, both in the loss to Atlanta. He has put points on the board with a two-point conversion catch.
Thielen’s arrival seemed to drop Nailor down the pecking order, but he has impressed over the first three games. Most importantly, impressing his head coach, who said, “He’s playing great,” of Nailor in his weekly interview with KFAN’s Paul Allen. “It hasn’t necessarily shown up with huge numbers, but every time you turn on the tape, he’s open. He’s winning in man, he’s got a great feel versus zone. He’s doing a lot of things really well right now.”
Nailor’s First Three Weeks
As O’Connell says, Nailor’s numbers don’t jump off the page and scream Get this man the ball. He has seven catches on 13 targets for 96 yards, trailing only Jefferson for receiving yards on a Vikings team that ranks 30th out of 32 in total passing yards.
The Vikings’ passing game has struggled with what they hope are just growing pains at the start of the McCarthy era at QB. So you have to look at the tape and the advanced metrics to get a true sense of Nailor’s play. He has consistently been able to generate separation and make himself available to his quarterback within the route concept and progression.
That is what has got coach O’Connell excited and should bode well for him maintaining a role in the offense. The man nicknamed Speedy has always been seen as a deep threat, and he has proved that with at least one reception of 17+ yards each week, and a crucial pass interference flag on a deep ball against Chicago in Week 1.
Nailor is averaging 13.7 yards per reception so far this season, which is actually below his career average of 15.3. He is yet to score, but he proved he has a nose for the end zone with six touchdown catches last season.
Nailor’s Role Going Forward
Addison’s return will certainly eat into the playing time of one, if not both, of Nailor and Thielen. When O’Connell wants to push the ball downfield and try a deep shot, you can expect to see Nailor on the field.
He has clearly outplayed Thielen in the opening three games, which should see him take the WR3 job. One advantage of Addison’s return is that both Nailor and Thielen will see less attention from the opposition’s better defenders as they try to stop Jefferson and Addison.
That might open up the opportunities for even more big plays for Nailor. Thielen is still going to be part of the Vikings’ offense, but it would be hard to argue he should be playing more than Nailor until proven otherwise. The younger receiver has a better chance of being a long-term solution, but Thielen should still be able to make plays for the Vikings this year.
The biggest challenge that O’Connell faces is sharing the targets around for all of his playmakers, but he must continue to find a role for Nailor in this offense.
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