Right now, we don’t know who will be quarterbacking three of the NFC North teams come September. The only certainty is that Justin Fields will line up under center for the Chicago Bears. Outside of that, it’s anyone’s guess.
Regardless of who is under center for the Minnesota Vikings, getting more playmakers on offense never hurts. Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely would be a perfect fit. However, he’d also be a great fit with the Green Bay Packers. Therefore, beating Green Bay to the punch would be the cherry on top for the Vikings.
Likely is regarded as one of the top tight ends in this draft class, if not the top tight end. Still, most mocks have the first tight end going in the second round. Based on what Likely and other tight ends may display at the NFL Combine, those estimations could drastically change. Even if they don’t, it’s a spot of need for the Vikings and the Packers entering the offseason.
Tyler Conklin had an admirable 2021 season for the Vikings, but he enters this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
Hauling in 61 catches for 593 yards and three touchdowns is nothing to scoff at. However, it’s hard to make a case that Conklin is a game-changing tight end. Some may argue the Vikings don’t need it with Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook. But if they can upgrade the position via Likely in the draft, why not chase down that dream?
Minnesota could try and bring Conklin back. Even if they do, it shouldn’t stop them from targeting a tight end like Likely in the draft.
His scouting reports speak for themselves.
Isaiah Likely saved his best for last in 2021 with an incredible 59-912-12 receiving line. For context, these numbers placed him in the top 50 nationwide in receiving yards and among the top 15 in receiving touchdowns.
Likely’s core strengths include versatility, physicality on contested plays, and sure hands. He can line up anywhere and has even been used in motion from the backfield. His ability to outmuscle defenders bodes well at the NFL level, while his pass-catching prowess could help him transform into a four-down weapon.
Physically, Likely has what it takes to be a successful NFL tight end, with enough long speed to take on linebackers in intermediate and deep zones. He’s also a terrific run-after-catch threat and has shown big-play ability since his freshman campaign.
His weaknesses are hard to come by. For those who nitpick, they point out that he played in the Sun Belt Conference and not in the SEC or the Big Ten. That hasn’t stopped names from smaller schools from bursting onto the scene before, and it won’t in this draft either. Likely has all the makings of being the real deal.
However, there’s still another name in the mix for Minnesota.
Irv Smith Jr. missed the entirety of the 2021 season. Through three years in the league, he’s been relatively underwhelming. He has the physical makeup of a tight end that coaches dream of, but it hasn’t manifested into a whole lot of value on the field for the Vikings. Some still hold out hope that 2022 will be the year for Smith, but the Vikings would be foolish to bank on that given the larger sample size of his three years in the NFL.
The final element of this equation is perhaps the sweetest: Likely would be a picture-perfect fit in Green Bay.
Many question marks are lingering in Green Bay. Still, they’ll need someone to play tight end in 2022 regardless of what else is around.
Robert Tonyan Jr. is a free agent coming off a gruesome injury, and Marcedes Lewis certainly isn’t a go-to option. At best, when it comes to the passing game, he’ll lumber around for a catch or two every couple weeks.
Josiah Deguara had ample opportunity once Tonyan went down against the Arizona Cardinals around the midway point of the season, and he produced mixed results. That has Green Bay staring down the barrel of potentially drafting a tight end this year.
If Minnesota were to swoop this target first in Isaiah Likely, Vikings fans wouldn’t be disappointed.
There’s no such thing as having too many playmakers on offense in today’s NFL. Even the best teams keep adding during the season when they aren’t satisfied. The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl this year, and Odell Beckham Jr. was a massive contributor down the stretch who had the first touchdown in the big game. There are never too many weapons. The Vikings should approach the draft with that motto.
Other needs will take a higher priority for the Vikings in the draft. But if they really want to pour some salt into the wound while snagging what could be a future All-Pro, Isaiah Likely would be a hell of a pick on Day 2.
