The Minnesota Vikings may be stacked at wide receiver, and that may mean a reduced role for Jarius Wright.
Jarius Wright is at 26 the elder-statesmen among Vikings receivers. And that guarantees him precisely nothing.
Minnesota has been experimenting with different combinations in preseason, getting Adam Thielen and Charles Johnson work with the first team.
Thielen made an athletic snag during Friday’s game, and Johnson had the night’s biggest play when he caught a 55-yard TD pass from Teddy Bridgewater.
Wright meanwhile was back in Minnesota, having been left behind when the team trekked to Cincinnati. Wright is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury.
The Vikings listed Wright as the fourth receiver on their first depth chart but as we know that chart is far from official.
Injury should not work against Wright as regards the depth chart, but the emergence of other options might.
More from Minnesota Vikings News
- Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
- Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
- 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022
- Vikings have reportedly begun extension talks with T.J. Hockenson
Not only are Adam Thielen and Charles Johnson looking good, but so too is rookie Laquon Treadwell.
Treadwell eventually will take on a big role with the Vikings, and when that happens others like Wright will naturally see fewer balls come their way.
It’s not as though the Vikings plan on throwing 40 times a game. That means a limited number of balls to go around.
Wright could be impacted further if the Vikings choose to look at Stefon Diggs more in the slot. Wright has primarily lined up in that slot position throughout his career and has sometimes been effective. He has not been so effective however that his role is assured.
Next: Stave could be the new Heinicke
Lack of versatility could be the biggest thing working against Wright. He has shown himself to be a solid weapon on crossing routes and the like, but has not proven that he can be a consistent target downfield despite his great speed.
If the Vikings end up using Diggs from the slot more, and lining Johnson and Treadwell up on the outside, Wright will definitely see fewer snaps.
Thielen’s emergence as a viable fourth option would push Wright even further down in the pecking order.
Jarius Wright could still be a valuable player if the match-up is right, but I don’t see him making a big contribution if things keep going the way they are.