4 Vikings players the team shouldn’t give up on yet

K.J. Osborn – PR/KR

This one is tough for this writer because I’m not a fan of K.J. Osborn and think he was easily the worst choice the Vikings made in the 2020 NFL Draft. That being said, the kid deserves at least one more full camp to show he can be the team’s primary returner just as they envisioned last April.

Osborn lacked the necessary boost or wiggle to be a successful NFL returner. He also showed questionable hands and had trouble fielding punts and then hanging onto the ball. Those issues and the fact he was dead last in punt return average caused him to be inactive on a handful of gameday, being replaced by the very players he was supposed to be replacing.

Osborn didn’t get a sniff on offense either. He was supposed to be a wide receiver in addition to his role as a returner, but when the team needed an extra body when Thielen went out, they turned to Tajae Sharpe instead of Osborn. That was disappointing to see and it created a lot of questions about Osborn’s role with the team.

Whether or not Osborn sticks with the team in the future, he does deserve a chance to make the roster during the preseason. If he improves with a full offseason under his belt great, if not, maybe he can find success with a different team.