The Minnesota Vikings made a move back in March that may spell the end of Jalen Reagor‘s time in Minnesota.
Signing veteran receiver Brandon Powell, who won a Super Bowl alongside Kevin O’Connell with the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings added more competition at receiver and, more notably concerning Reagor, the punt returner role.
Getting to know new #Vikings WR/return man Brandon Powell. Best part: Told Brandon I needed 2 minutes of his time, went 1:59:
The 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft, Reagor has had a lackluster career as a first-round wide receiver. Minnesota landed the TCU product in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, exchanging a seventh-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick for Reagor last September.
The move was made largely to bolster the Vikings’ special teams with the possibility of salvaging Reagor’s potential as a pass catcher. But after securing just eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown last season, Reagor’s involvement in the offense may not be enough to keep him around — especially with Powell pressing for the punt return role.
“I think Powell has done enough as a receiver to be a depth guy who can be a returner-receiver,” ESPN’s Mike Clay said on the “Purple Insider” podcast on June 19, adding that Reagor’s grace as a first-round pick is fleeting entering the final year of his rookie deal. “Reagor, certainly his scholarship is over — no idea if he even makes the team.”
Jalen Reagor Unlikely to Sweeten Trade With Eagles
While the Eagles made do with the seventh-round pick they received from the Vikings in the draft this April, the 2024 conditional pick is unlikely to swing in their favor.
Reagor is unlikely to reach the statistical benchmarks that would turn the conditional fifth-rounder into a fourth.
According to Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice, Reagor would have to surpass any of the three given benchmarks:
- 40 receptions
- 500 receiving yards
- Five touchdowns
He did not come near any of those figures in 2022, and considering the additions of T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison since the trade, Reagor’s unlikely to carve out a role large enough to reach those benchmarks in 2023.
Minnesota didn’t gain much from the trade other than a relief punt returner. Reagor ranked 16th of 17 punt returners with 20 or more returns, averaging 6.4 yards per return.
Powell has averaged 9.6 yards per punt return in his career, including a 61-yard punt return touchdown in a 30-23 victory over the Vikings that clinched Los Angeles its playoff berth in 2021. He went on to average 11.6 yards per return during the postseason run.
Brandon Powell Punt Return TD 61 yards | #rams vs #vikings #nfl #nfltwitter
Vikings Pass Catchers Rank Inside NFL Top 10
While the Reagor reclamation project hasn’t panned out as they’d hoped, the Vikings still boast one of the league’s top pass-catching corps.
Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 receiving corps in the league ahead of the 2023 season and slotted Minnesota at No. 7. The ranking is largely thanks to Justin Jefferson and Hockenson, who should soak up nearly half of the offense’s targets this season.
But if Addison can emerge as a viable threat to complement K.J. Osborn and Jefferson, the Vikings could present a case to be ranked even higher by the season’s end.
That bodes well for Kirk Cousins, who is entering a contract year in Minnesota and more than likely must take the team to at least one playoff victory to secure a future with the Vikings.
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Vikings Expected to Cut 1st-Round Playmaker Ahead of 2023 Season