The Minnesota Vikings appear to be in the market for a starting wide receiver, but there’s a good chance that player is already on the roster.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN predicted that Brandon Powell will prove the team’s biggest surprise this season by ascending into the position of slot wideout on a permanent basis following a career year in 2023.
“During the O’Connell era, the Vikings’ base offense has been 11 personnel, which generally means three receivers,” Seifert wrote on Wednesday, May 22. “So unless O’Connell is going to dramatically change that approach in his third season, there is a significant need for a third player to complement Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the receiving corps. Powell filled that role well last season when Jefferson missed time with a hamstring injury, and he has a strong chance to earn a more permanent role there in 2024.”
Powell hauled in 29 catches for 324 receiving yards and 1 TD last year, according to Pro Football Reference. He also returned a league-leading 37 punts for 289 total yards and an average of 7.8 yards per return.
If Powell can elevate to the position of third starting receiver following the departure of K.J. Osborn to the New England Patriots in free agency, he will offer the Vikings incredible value, as he is playing on a one-year deal for just $2 million.
Vikings Could Look to Free Agency, Hunter Renfrow to Fill Slot WR Role
Powell played for O’Connell when he ran the Los Angeles Rams offense in 2021. O’Connell became the Vikings head coach the following year and Powell landed in Minnesota in 2023.
The entire coaching staff are fans of Powell, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. However, that doesn’t mean the team won’t seek a player to compete against him and the rest of the Vikings receivers who reside behind Jefferson and Addison on the depth chart.
“It still feels like the Vikings could add another receiver to the mix,” Lewis wrote on May 2. “[Jalen] Nailor has shown flashes, but injuries have gotten in the way of him getting an extensive opportunity. [Trent] Sherfield can block. And Powell is reliable; the coaching staff loves him.”
If the Vikings do dabble in free agency, former Las Vegas Raiders wideout Hunter Renfrow makes the most sense.
“After racking up 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, [Renfrow] has totaled 585 receiving yards and two scores combined over the past two seasons,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on May 10. “The Vikings brought in Trent Sherfield this offseason and could expand Brandon Powell’s role, but Renfrow has a much more productive season in his recent past than either player has had at any point during their respective careers. Renfrow would probably be competing with Powell for the third wideout and punt returner role in Minnesota, a battle he could win if given the opportunity.”
