Vikings Sign Former 1st-Round WR Ahead of 2024 Season
The Minnesota Vikings added former first-round selection N’Keal Harry to their plans at wide receiver in 2024 due to concerns at the position this summer.
Harry, 26, is guaranteed club control throughout the summer after he inked a reserve/future deal with the Vikings on January 8.
Harry, who was selected by the New England Patriots with the 32nd overall choice in the 2018 draft, became a member of the Vikings practice squad in 2023. He made a compelling case to be included in the 53-man roster throughout train
The Vikings signed Harry to the practice squad after the dust settled from 53-man roster cuts around the league. He played in nine games this season, primarily on special teams.
In five seasons, Harry has caught 64 passes for 714 yards and five touchdowns. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Harry offers mismatch opportunities to make contested catches as a reliable red-zone weapon.
He’s among 11 players from the Vikings practiced squad who have signed reserve/future contracts.
Here’s the full list:
RB Myles Gaskin
WR Trishton Jackson
WR N’Keal Harry
WR Thayer Thomas
RB DeWayne McBride
CB Joejuan Williams
CB Jaylin Williams
LB Abraham Beauplan
T Cory Cronk
G Henry Byrd
G Tyrese Robinson
Vikings Have WR3 Needs With K.J. Osborn Poised for Free Agency
Harry’s signing offers the Vikings options at wide receiver with the potential departure of third wide receiver K.J. Osborn.
A 2020 fifth-round pick, Osborn didn’t log a single offensive snap his rookie year but has developed into a reliable option in the passing game. In his past three seasons, Osborn has averaged 52 catches, 615 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
The wide receiver market has boomed in recent years even for players who aren’t quite at WR1 status. Adam Thielen secured a three-year, $25 million deal with the Carolina Panthers last offseason despite entering the league year at the age of 33.
Osborn is expected to garner a similar value in free agency. Spotrac estimated Osborn to secure a two-year, $15.1 million deal worth $7.5 million a season, which would rank 38th among wide receivers entering the 2024 free agency period in March.
The Vikings would be unwise to compete with an offer like that, especially considering Jordan Addison overtook the WR2 role this season. There’s likely a price the Vikings are willing to bring Osborn back, but in Osborn’s defense, the prospects in free agency are likely much better in terms of his projected role in another offense and the compensation of that role.
The Vikings will likely look internally and potentially add some upside-free agents or draft prospects in the offseason to compete for the third wide receiver role behind Justin Jefferson and Addison.
Vikings’ Jalen Nailor Must Earn WR3 Spot
The Vikings wide receivers room is considered one of the league’s best, but the prospects of losing Osborn reveal a serious drop off in on-field production.
For two years, the team has shown favoritism to 2022 sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor. Nailor was a player in the draft that wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell “pounded the table” for during pre-draft meetings.
Nailor flashed his rookie year, catching 3 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in a Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Nailor made his first start in a meaningless season finale against the Chicago Bears, snaring 4-of-5 targets for 62 yards.
But in 2023, Nailor struggled to stay healthy and put together a productive body of work.
Nailor dealt with a lower-leg injury in training camp but managed to make the 53-man roster before he was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury in September.
Returning from injured reserve, Nailor played in four games before he landed in concussion protocol after a hit he took against the Las Vegas Raiders on December 10.
Nailor finished his second year with 3 catches for 29 yards in a disappointing showing for the promising receiver prospect.
Undersized in college, there were concerns over his durability but given time in NFL strength and conditioning programs, Nailor still has hope to become a productive receiver in the Vikings offense.
