As training camp nears, the Minnesota Vikings’ roster is flush with fascinating position competitions. Battles range from players competing for starting positions (i.e., Blake Brandel vs. Dalton Risner for left guard) to whether punter Seth Vernon will challenge Ryan Wright for his roster spot. However, the most intriguing camp competition will be among the wide receivers.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be WR1 and WR2, respectively. There is no debate. Still, the position group teems with opportunity beyond Minnesota’s two young stars. Brandon Powell will enter camp as the favorite to win the third wide receiver role and be the primary punt returner. Trent Sherfield will likely make the team’s initial 53-man roster as the fourth wide receiver. The six-year veteran is an excellent run-blocker with a knack for providing value on special teams on both kickoff and punt returns. However, this is where things become uncertain.
Third-year wideout Jalen Nailor could push Powell and Sherfield for snaps at the position. However, various injuries in his first two years have dampened any momentum toward him earning a full-time role, even though he showed flashes early in his career. In six games last season, the 25-year-old Michigan State product caught only three passes on six targets for 29 yards. His limited production resulted from nagging hamstring issues and a concussion he sustained during the team’s Week 14 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Vikings will likely carry five to six receivers into the regular season, and Jefferson, Addison, Powell, Sherfield, and Nailor are near locks to possess the first five spots. However, Nailor’s health concerns could create an opportunity for an unproven young receiver. Trishton Jackson, Lucky Jackson, Jeshaun Jones, Ty James, and Malik Knowles could shine during camp and the preseason and take Nailor’s spot. However, Thayer Thomas is particularly intriguing.
Thomas, 26, is an undrafted player out of North Carolina State. During his five seasons in Raleigh, the former walk-on netted 215 receptions for 2,484 yards and 24 touchdowns while also working as a punt returner. Following his celebrated career with the Wolfpack, Thomas entered the 2023 draft, but no team selected him. He signed with Minnesota and spent training camp and the preseason with the team before they waived him during roster cutdowns in late August. The Vikings signed the shifty receiver to the practice squad, and he spent the 2023 NFL season there. Following his first season in the league, they signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.
What makes Thomas stand out among his peers is his excellent route-running skills, superb ball skills, and innate ability to work in the slot. The second-year receiver displays adequate agility and elusiveness that complement his outstanding knack for weaving in and out of breaks, a skillset necessary to work in the slot. Thomas has also developed an early connection with first-round rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Vikings already have a surplus of receivers who execute well in the slot in Jefferson, Addison, and Powell. However, that doesn’t mean Thomas has a redundant skillset. He can also work on the outside. His route-running skills allow him to create natural separation and win on the perimeter despite having a smaller catch radius. Thomas’ tremendous ball skills also help him account for his small frame by allowing him to make necessary adjustments to outduel contesting corners. As noted earlier, Thomas is a special teams weapon and likely the second-best punt return option on the roster behind Powell.
Thomas impressed pundits during last season’s training camp and has turned heads during the team’s voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp this summer. However, he’s competing with five other fringe receivers, and Nailor’s health at the time of the roster cutdown could potentially have a significant influence over which receivers make the roster. Therefore, Thomas must overcome significant hurdles to get there. Regardless, he has the tools and skillset to push himself over the top.
