How picking WR Tai Felton on Day 2 is a sign of Vikings' confidence in their secondary

New York Times

26-04-2025

EAGAN, Minn. — The ageless wonder, Harrison Smith, made his yearly spring stop at the podium last week. Reporters peppered him with questions about his decision to play a 14th season for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025. As usual, he spoke thoughtfully. But maybe his most revealing comment came when Theo Jackson's name surfaced.
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'He's always making plays,' Smith said of Jackson. 'Like, from the day he got here. Like, literally from the day he got here. I was, like, 'How did he … how did the Titans let him go?'
Smith was essentially saying what the Vikings have confirmed through the first two days of the NFL Draft: Jackson has earned a starting opportunity, and as a result, reinforcements for the secondary are not the team's top priority.
First, Minnesota passed on Michigan cornerback Will Johnson in the first round. Then Friday night, the Vikings traded back with the Texans to improve their Day 3 draft position rather than selecting Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. Minnesota has spent its two picks thus far on offensive players. Interior offensive lineman Donovan Jackson was introduced Friday afternoon, and the Vikings drafted Maryland receiver Tai Felton several hours later.
'Got our guy,' Vikings senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson said of Felton. 'He's a talented playmaker and productive.'
The Vikings identified Felton early in the process and bucketed him in the middle rounds. Receivers coach Keenan McCardell stood on the field for workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Wanting more of a hands-on feel for Felton's abilities, McCardell also flew to College Park, Md., to put Felton through drills during the team's pro day.
In past years, McCardell's evaluations and pushing have helped land Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Felton will fit in more of the No. 3 receiver mold behind those two. Similar to them, though, he dominated high-level competition. Last season, Felton caught 96 passes, more than any receiver in Terrapins history, and notched 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns.
Felton also aced the testing portion of the pre-draft process. Forty-yard dash? He blazed a 4.37. Vertical jump? He leaped nearly 40 inches. Compound those under-the-hood 'explosiveness' traits with his willingness to play special teams (he had 12 career special teams tackles), and it's easy to see why Minnesota was sold.
'Something that I thought was unique about him is that he's also good with the ball in his hands,' Grigson said. 'He's not just a vertical speed guy. He can run routes.'
🐢 14 rec.🐢 157 yards🐢 1 TD
Watch each of Tai Felton's Week 4 catches in @TerpsFootball's win over Villanova 👇 #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/DJOQlV1Aur
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 22, 2024
In addition to the trenches, receiver became a position the Vikings targeted, and there are multiple layers to their need. In the short term, Jordan Addison might face a suspension due to his arrest on suspicion of DUI last summer. Minnesota trusts Jefferson, receiver Jalen Nailor and tight end T.J. Hockenson to pick up the slack, but Felton provides additional insurance. In the long term, the Vikings must be mindful of the makeup of the receiver room.
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Nailor, who caught 28 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns last season, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Vikings value his speed and separation ability, but the most recent free-agent period has proven that players like him can net big-money contracts. The Jaguars paid receiver Dyami Brown close to $10 million. The Rams awarded receiver Tutu Atwell with about the same. Considering how much the Vikings will be spending on Jefferson and Addison (not to mention the offensive line), it'd be difficult for Minnesota to pony up that kind of money.
Addison isn't scheduled to hit free agency until 2027, so his future is a less relevant conversation. Still, it doesn't hurt to inject the receiver room with more young talent to soak in head coach Kevin O'Connell's system.
The Vikings' decision-makers would have celebrated the Felton selection if it happened at No. 97. That the team was able to scoop him up five spots later and move up from No. 187 to No. 142 in the trade with Houston was an additional boon. Minnesota now possesses two of the first four picks in the fifth round.
As for what's next, the Vikings could go all sorts of ways. They like the defensive line and running back talent available. They also need a No. 3 tight end after Johnny Mundt departed in free agency. Why not cornerback or safety, you might ask? It's possible, but again, look back at what the Vikings have done so far.
They paid free-agent cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. handsomely. They were as aggressive in landing cornerback Isaiah Rodgers as anyone once free agency began. They think they can get more out of cornerback Jeff Okudah, and they have high hopes for Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern's development.
At safety, the story is much the same. Smith controls the defense from the field. Jackson has been deserving of a starting opportunity for years in the eyes of teammates and coaches. Josh Metellus is the perfect slot defender and Swiss Army knife, and Jay Ward still has upside.
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Are the Vikings too optimistic about what a supercharged pass rush will do for their pass coverage? Do they have too much faith in a defensive staff that has been one of the NFL's best over the last couple of seasons? Could they have something else up their sleeves for a veteran-type player after the draft? The answers to those questions will come in time, but the conviction in their approach to this point, especially at safety, speaks volumes.