Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The tight end position has been something of whirlwind for the Minnesota Vikings over the last couple of weeks.
The franchise was reported to be in the market for a wide receiver ahead of the NFL’s November 1 trade deadline, but then Irv Smith Jr. injured his ankle and hit the IR just two days prior. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pivoted, striking a deal seemingly out of nowhere to acquire Pro-Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions. In most cases, that would have been that.
However, TE Ben Ellefson was also hurt in early October, prompting the team to send him to IR with a groin injury. Backups Jacob Hollister and Nick Muse were each elevated from the practice squad on two occasions to replace Ellefson on the 53-man roster. Ellefson was activated from IR on November 9, which allowed him to return to practice and opens a three-week window for the team to officially add him back to active status.
The Las Vegas Raiders complicated matters further when they swooped in and signed Hollister off of the Vikings practice squad on November 10. In an effort to replace him, Minnesota inked former Jacksonville Jaguars tight end James O’Shaughnessy on Monday. Apparently, however, the team isn’t done exploring options at the position.
Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus on Tuesday, November 15, reported that the Vikings would host a same-day tryout of a former Green Bay Packers tight end.
Source: The #Vikings are working out free-agent TE Alize Mack today. The 2019 seventh-round pick is fully healthy and was most recently released from the Packers’ injured reserve list.
“Source: The #Vikings are working out free agent TE Alize Mack today,” Kyed tweeted. “The 2019 seventh-round pick is fully healthy and was most recently released from the Packers’ injured reserve list.”
Mack Could Serve Vikings in Run Game While Ellefson Gets Healthy
GettyFormer Notre Dame and Green Bay Packers tight end Alize Mack stretches out for a catch during a collegiate game against Wake Forest in 2018.
Mack landed with the New Orleans Saints during the 2019 NFL Draft and has bounced around the league from practice squad to practice squad since then. He played with the Pittsburgh Steelers that same year before stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Lions and finally the Packers.
While Mack has yet to play a regular season snap in the NFL, his potential value to an organization like the Vikings is clear. At six-feet, five-inches tall and 247 pounds, he is a load to bring down and could serve Minnesota well as a blocker from the tight end position. Mack also posted solid athletic measurables during his combine workout, logging a 4.7 40-yard-dash time and a 36-inch vertical.
Should the Vikings sign Mack, he’s likely destined to remain on the practice squad along with Muse as a backup, but could have a chance to break through to the active roster should the injury bug bite Minnesota again at tight end — as it already has twice in 2022.
Hockenson Huge for Vikings in 2 Consecutive Road Wins
GettyTight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings gestures toward an official during the second quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
As it stands now, the Vikings have made the most out of a difficult and injury-riddled season at tight end with the addition of Hockenson.
In two games, quarterback Kirk Cousins has targeted Hockenson a total of 19 times, per Pro Football Reference. The tight end has come down with 16 catches for 115 yards, helping the Vikings to consecutive comeback wins on the road against a solid Washington Commanders team and a Super Bowl favorite in the Buffalo Bills.
The Vikings (8-1) are now tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for first place in the NFC, though the Eagles won the head-to-head matchup in Week 2. Minnesota will finish a three-game road stretch against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday before hosting the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving and the New York Jets on December 4.