Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have multiple holes that need to be addressed. This week on KFAN.com, there will be a series of draft prospects being highlighted before the draft starts on Thursday night.
The Vikings and General Manager Rick Spielman have had the tendency to trade back to acquire more picks over the years. It has allowed them to find more value in their picks, rather than reaching for certain positional needs.
That could be the case here with Jalen Reagor, the speedy TCU wide receiver. Reagor is likely to go in the late first to early second round, so the Vikings might be able to trade back a few spots and still get one of the most talented receivers in this draft class.
The exciting factor Reagor would bring with him to Minnesota is his big play making ability. During his time at TCU, his quarterback play was below average at best. His numbers don’t show up on the stat sheet as well as some of the top receivers in this deep class, but that shouldn’t scare the Vikings away from him.
Reagor is one of the better options in this draft class for stretching the field vertically. He plays with a lot of speed and is good at going up and winning contested catches. Not only does he have the speed to run past opposing defenders, but he also runs solid routes and is great after the catch. He also was utilized on special teams during his time at TCU and could fix the hole the Vikings have at the punt returner position.
According to PlayerProfiler.com, Reagor had a breakout age of 18.7, which lands him in the 95th percentile. Football analytics show that receivers that breakout at a younger age tend to have more success at the next level, and Reagor broke out nearly right when he stepped foot on TCU’s campus.
If the Vikings do decide to trade back to acquire more picks, Reagor is a name to keep an eye on. Depending on how the wide receivers fall off the board, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see the Vikings select Reagor with the 22nd or 25th pick either. Being able to pair Reagor with Thielen and a later round receiver would instantly make the Vikings receiving corps better heading into the 2020 season.
Stay tuned for more draft profiles coming throughout this week on KFAN.com. The profiles will be addressing positions of need for the Vikings, and there will also be reaction pieces available after each day of the draft.