The Vikings addressed their three most obvious needs (interior offensive line, interior defensive line, and cornerback) in grand fashion over the first couple days of free agency. What's next?
As we look towards other potential avenues for upgrading the roster, one notable area is the wide receiver position. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison make up one of the best duos in the NFL, but a possible suspension looms for Addison and an upgrade could potentially be had over Jalen Nailor at the WR3 spot.
Here are some of the top wide receivers who are still out there and could be Vikings targets.
Kupp will officially be released by the Rams on Wednesday afternoon, freeing him up to sign anywhere. There's buzz that the Vikings could be among the many teams with interest. Given Kevin O'Connell's history with Kupp, it makes sense. He turns 32 this summer and has missed at least five games due to injury in three consecutive seasons, but Kupp is still a high-level player when healthy. He's a sharp route runner (though no longer an elite separator) and an excellent run blocker. Jefferson, Addison, and Kupp would be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses. And because he was released, he won't factor into the comp pick formula for whichever team signs him.
Diggs is the other headliner of the current wide receiver market, but I don't think he makes nearly as much sense for the Vikings. He's a talented player who has frequently been a bit of a diva throughout his career, which may not be something Minnesota wants to add (back) to its locker room, especially with J.J. McCarthy set to take over at quarterback. The 31-year-old Diggs is also coming off of an ACL injury.
The theme here, as you can probably tell, is once-great receivers who are now past their primes — but could still offer quite a bit in a No. 3 role. Allen, who turns 33 next month, falls right into that category. The longtime Chargers star had a solid season with the Bears last year, including two strong games against Brian Flores' Vikings defense. He's not an overly sudden athlete anymore but remains as sure-handed as ever.
Lockett was released after a ten-year run with the Seahawks as a very productive, somewhat underrated receiver. Like the other guys on this list, he'd bring veteran savvy and reliable hands to the Vikings' offense as a possession-type WR3 to complement Jefferson and Addison.
Cooper had a strange 2024 season split between the Browns and Bills, but he was a Pro Bowler in 2023 after recording a career-high 1,250 yards. The veteran still has the size and speed to be a big-play threat on the outside.
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