After recording just 12 combined catches for 208 yards with one touchdown in 21 games over his first two seasons, Jalen Nailor had a breakout campaign in 2024 for the Minnesota Vikings, catching 28 passes for 414 yards with six scores.
Those may not seem like big numbers, but for a WR3 that has to battle for targets with arguably the best wide receiver in the game in Justin Jefferson, dynamic WR2 Jordan Addison, two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson, or even dual-threat running back Aaron Jones, they look a lot better.
And Nailor may be in for an even better 2025, as Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is very high on his speedster, as he told the media ahead of the team's first official practice of training camp on Thursday.
"He had a great year last year. There's always gonna be some plays here and there that you want back, but I thought just the ability for him to step in early after Jordan [Addison] gets the ankle [injury] against the Giants, to have the training camp that 'Speedy' did to be able to handle what we asked of him, not only in the weeks that followed but in that game against the Giants, to basically assume multiple roles, I thought that was really a precursor to what was a great year for 'Speedy', showing such versatility."
Jalen Nailor "ready to play a huge role" for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025
Nailor could see significant snaps early in the season, as there's a strong chance that Addison will be handed a suspension stemming from his DUI case, which was recently resolved after he reached a plea deal.
But O'Connell is confident that Nailor can step up, not just in Addison's absence but throughout the entire season.
"We'll see how these first few weeks look, what type of personnel we're gonna have for those games when we get all the information on our group back.
'Speedy' could be a huge, huge contributor early and often, all season long, and that's my expectation. He's primed and ready to play a huge role in our offense."
The Michigan State alum undoubtedly won't mind seeing a few extra targets, as he's set to play the upcoming campaign on the final season of the four-year, $3.8 million contract he signed after the Vikings took him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 191st overall pick.
Nailor will have some competition for the WR3 slot this summer, though, as Minnesota took another speedster, Maryland's Tai Felton, in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft back in April. But that just means he'll have to work a little harder, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that.