Vikings Sign Former 1st-Round WR Ahead of 2024 Season

With questions at wide receiver this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings secured former first-round pick N’Keal Harry to their plans at the position in 2024.

Harry signed a reserve/future contract with the Vikings on January 8, ensuring the 26-year-old is under team control through the offseason.

The 32nd overall pick by the New England Patriots in the 2018 draft, Harry joined the Vikings practice squad for the 2023 season. During training camp, he made a strong case to make the 53-man roster before suffering a lower-body injury that led to his release before the final game of the preseason.

The Vikings signed Harry to the practice squad after the dust settled from 53-man roster cuts around the league. He played in nine games this season, primarily on special teams.

In five seasons, Harry has caught 64 passes for 714 yards and five touchdowns. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Harry offers mismatch opportunities to make contested catches as a reliable red-zone weapon.

He’s among 11 players from the Vikings practiced squad who have signed reserve/future contracts.

Harry’s signing offers the Vikings options at wide receiver with the potential departure of third wide receiver K.J. Osborn

A 2020 fifth-round pick, Osborn didn’t log a single offensive snap his rookie year but has developed into a reliable option in the passing game. In his past three seasons, Osborn has averaged 52 catches, 615 yards receiving and five touchdowns.

The wide receiver market has boomed in recent years even for players who aren’t quite at WR1 status. Adam Thielen secured a three-year, $25 million deal with the Carolina Panthers last offseason despite entering the league year at the age of 33.

Osborn is expected to garner a similar value in free agency. Spotrac estimated Osborn to secure a two-year, $15.1 million deal worth $7.5 million a season, which would rank 38th among wide receivers entering the 2024 free agency period in March.

The Vikings would be unwise to compete with an offer like that, especially considering Jordan Addison overtook the WR2 role this season. There’s likely a price the Vikings are willing to bring Osborn back, but in Osborn’s defense, the prospects in free agency are likely much better in terms of his projected role in another offense and the compensation of that role.

The Vikings will likely look internally and potentially add some upside-free agents or draft prospects in the offseason to compete for the third wide receiver role behind  and Addison.

The Vikings wide receivers room is considered one of the league’s best, but the prospects of losing Osborn reveal a serious drop off in on-field production.

For two years, the team has shown favoritism to 2022 sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor. Nailor was a player in the draft that wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell “pounded the table” for during pre-draft meetings.

Nailor flashed his rookie year, catching 3 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in a Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Nailor made his first start in a meaningless season finale against the Chicago Bears, snaring 4-of-5 targets for 62 yards.