5 best Minnesota Vikings fourth-round picks of the last decade

Jarius Wright – WR (2012)

Jarius Wright was chosen by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He was seen as a receiver who could make clutch grabs working out of the slot and that was exactly what he was.

Despite being criminally underused in his time with Minnesota, Wright was still able to grind out 153 receptions for 2,039 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Wright was great working out of the slot. He ran good routes and he had some of the surest hands on the entire team. It seemed like whenever the Vikings needed a big grab on third down, they would look Wright’s way and he would always come through. It was tough to see him leave after the 2017 season.

Wright spent the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He had similar production there compared to what he had during his time with Minnesota, mostly being a third or fourth option who made grabs that kept drives alive.

It was recently reported that the Panthers aren’t going to pick up Wright’s 2020 option on his contract making him a free agent this year.

It’s unlikely Wright returns to Minnesota, but he’d be welcomed back by the fans. He’d also ease right back into that role of the slot receiver and the Vikings would benefit from having such a reliable target back with their wide receiving corps.