Getty Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The deepest position group on the Minnesota Vikings roster may be the wide receivers room, meaning some tough decisions are on the horizon.
Approaching cutdown day on August 29, when the Vikings will have to trim the 90-man roster down to 53 players, several talented players will be waived.
Former New England Patriots first-round pick N’Keal Harry may be among those cuts.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggested Harry should be a player the Vikings cut despite a strong camp.
N’Keal Harry is a red zone THREAT!
Might be the missing piece in a loaded #Vikings WR room!
“Harry has tools. He entered the 2019 draft as a physical prospect (at 6-foot-4, 228 pounds) who projected as a viable NFL possession player. The problem is that his traits have not translated to production,” Knox wrote. “He’s unlikely to add much to Minnesota’s offense, and the Vikings haven’t even gotten a good look at what he might bring.”
In three seasons with the Patriots, Harry tallied 57 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns. Minnesota took a flier on Harry after he was not re-signed by the Chicago Bears in the offseason.
Vikings Will Prioritize Punt Returner as 5th WR
With 2021 sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor returning to practice on Monday, the Vikings’ top four receivers look to be Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Jordan Addison and Nailor. Beyond the top four is a bottleneck, and necessity may take priority over Harry.
Fellow receivers Brandon Powell and Jalen Reagor are battling for a roster spot as the primary punt returner on the roster. They’ll likely be the fifth wide receiver on the roster.
A final sixth spot could be under consideration. Trishton Jackson has had an impressive camp and is ahead on the team’s unofficial depth chart. Blake Proehl, Thayer Thomas and Lucky Jackson are all on the roster bubble along with Harry, whose size offers a different skill set than most receivers on the roster.
However, in Kevin O’Connell‘s scheme, versatility is key, which most likely will keep Harry from making the final roster.
He caught two passes for 24 yards in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks but did not play on Saturday against the Tennessee Titans due to an unspecified soft-tissue injury, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported.
#Vikings WR N’Keal Harry had a good two days of practice going against the Titans. He’ll have another chance to impress in the preseason game tomorrow. Had a quick back-and-forth with him after the Thursday joint practice:
N’Keal Harry Could Carve Out Red-Zone Role in Vikings Offense
While Harry may not bring the versatility many other receivers on the roster have, his size undoubtedly makes him a potential sleeper red-zone weapon in the Vikings offense — a role he’s reveled in since entering the league.
It’s a big opportunity. I just have to get the plays down get the offense down get more chances to get in there,” Harry told KSTP’s Alec Ausmus when he was signed in early August. “Big body. Go and get the ball when it’s in the air. Red zone guy. Hard to bring down. I’m a big physical guy.”
With the addition of N’Keal Harry, the #Vikings currently have 4 first-round picks in the wide receiver room (Jefferson, Addison, Reagor, Harry.)
Harry is big, looks like a tight end, maybe just a body for preseason with JJ and KJ not playing, but he’s intriguing.
@KSTPSports
Harry has flashed several impressive catches in tight spaces throughout training camp and the preseason, including one of the best connections rookie quarterback Jaren Hall has made against the Seattle Seahawks.
Beautiful pass by Jaren Hall and Great Catch by N’Keal Harry
#Vikings
Harry also showed his explosiveness, diving for a ball along the sidelines at night practice earlier this month.
Vikings and Kevin O’Connell might have been exactly what N’Keal Harry needed…
Insane catch on the sideline!! #skol
Harry has one more chance to prove his worth on Saturday in the Vikings’ final preseason game. The dilemma with waiving him is he’s a more proven commodity in the NFL than the rest of the receivers on the bubble. First-round picks get many chances in the league.
Another team will likely take a flier on him if he’s released, while several other receivers could be waived and then stashed on the practice squad if they clear waivers.