For the last half decade, the Minnesota Vikings have had two dominant starting wide receivers. Whether it’s been a combination of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs or Thielen and Justin Jefferson, Minnesota quarterbacks have had the luxury of two Pro Bowl-caliber weapons on the outside.
However, a reliable No. 3 receiver has been hard to come by. While the top receiving options have been relatively consistent, the next spot on the depth chart has been a revolving door. Cordarrelle Patterson, Jarius Wright, Laquon Treadwell, Aldrick Robinson, Olabisi Johnson, and Chad Beebe all filled that role in some capacity since 2016. And, to nobody’s surprise, that spot was up for grabs once again heading into this season.
A number of popular candidates emerged to secure that role for this season’s edition of the Vikings. Johnson and Beebe were the favorites, having most recently served as quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ third wide receiver option. Unfortunately, injuries knocked both of them out for the season.
Minnesota added another potential candidate in free agent Dede Westbrook, making him the immediate favorite. However, he too missed time due to injuries and never really built a rapport with Cousins during training camp and the preseason. Perhaps fifth-round pick Ihmir Smith-Marsette, known for his supreme athleticism, could eventually take the reins and step into this key role. But the youngster couldn’t put together a solid preseason and training camp.
K.J. Osborn was a complete afterthought. A 2020 fifth-round pick, Osborn played a grand total of zero offensive snaps as a rookie. His only action was on special teams, and even that left a lot to be desired. He displayed ball security issues as a return man that left many wondering how long he’d remain on the roster.
As a draft prospect, Osborn had barely any recognition. Most big boards did not include Osborn’s name in their top-300 prospects, and it was a shock to a lot of pundits that he was drafted at all, let alone in the fifth round.
But the naysayers are awfully quiet right now. Osborn has taken advantage of a rather large opportunity to contribute to Minnesota’s passing game this year. He built chemistry with Cousins over the summer, displaying good route running and a surprising ability to make tough catches over the middle of the field. Add that to elusiveness with the ball, and the Vikings may have just found a reliable No. 3 wide receiver for the foreseeable future.
Look no further than Minnesota’s Week 1 loss. While the offense as a whole stumbled out of the gate, Osborn showed the energy and grit needed to help finally get the Vikings on the board in the first half.
The Vikings faced a third-and-24 scenario from the Cincinnati Bengals’ 36-yard line. In an attempt to set up a field goal attempt, Minnesota called a quick-pass concept in which Cousins hit Osborn on an out route to the sideline. However, Osborn wiggled free along the sideline and hurdled a defender for a 25-yard gain.
Three plays later, Cousins found Thielen for the Vikings’ first touchdown of the season.
Osborn remained a key piece of the offense for the duration of the game, hauling in seven of nine targets for 76 yards. And it wasn’t just Osborn’s stat line that was impressive; it was when the stats were registered. In addition to the 25-yard gain on third-and-24 to set up six points, Osborn also squeezed the pigskin over the middle on fourth-and-four for a five-yard gain that helped set up kicker Greg Joseph‘s 53-yard field goal as time expired that sent the game to overtime.
It’s the kind of performance that earns trust and respect from the rest of the locker room. It has been quite some time since Cousins has completed seven passes to the No. 3 receiver, and to see the Vikings call No. 17 in multiple clutch moments speaks volumes about how much he has progressed.
Will Osborn’s stellar play continue? That is yet to be seen. But it does appear the Vikings will be in pass-attack mode for much of the season as they were in Week 1, which should provide Osborn with many more opportunities.
At any rate, his improvement has been a significant bright spot in what has otherwise been a less than stellar opening to the 2021 season for the Vikings. And maybe, finally, the Vikings have a reliable No. 3 receiving option they can trust for the foreseeable future.
