A limited number of picks limited what the Minnesota Vikings could do to add to the roster in the 2025 NFL Draft, so it was interesting when they used the final pick of the third round (after a trade) on Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton.
While wide receiver is on the future radar as a potential need, using such a (relatively) premium draft pick on the position this year sends a message to the rest of the wide receiver room after Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
There's a chance Felton swoops in and immediately takes the WR3 role, and that position battle is now one of the more interesting to watch as the Vikings approach OTAs.
Analyst confirms Minnesota Vikings player who could end up having the most trade value
Sterling Xie of Pro Football Network recently named one trade or cut candidate for each NFL team after the draft, with a narrower premise that said player already is or could become expendable. Minnesota has multiple options that could make sense (Josh Oliver, Rondale Moore?), but the one he landed on is not outlandish.
"With only five draft picks, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t have much of an opportunity to heavily impact their pre-existing roster. However, in taking wide receiver Tai Felton in Round 3, the Vikings added to a position that already felt solidified, putting some of the non-Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison wideouts on alert.
One of those is Jalen Nailor, the clear No. 3 receiver for Minnesota last season. The former sixth-round pick is in the final season of his rookie contract and has played roughly 60% of his career snaps out wide, with Jefferson largely playing the slot in three-receiver sets.
Felton is also primarily a perimeter receiver, meaning the Vikings could see him as Nailor’s successor in 11 personnel. If Minnesota doesn’t intend to extend Nailor and Felton has a strong preseason, he might not have a ton of roster value given his limited special-teams value (56 special-teams snaps in the last two seasons combined)."
In light of Addison's likely absence to start the 2025 season as his DUI case moves through the courts in Los Angeles, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell recently set high expectations for Jalen Nailor by labeling it a "massive, massive year for his career."
Nailor is entering the final year of his contract with Minnesota, so 2025 is a big season for him. His path to a notable role in the Vikings' offense has also seemingly been impeded by the recent addition of Felton.
If Nailor does not win Minnesota's WR3 job this year, it's a stretch to say he offers limited value on special teams (216 special teams snaps as a rookie in 2022). That said, not being the WR3 would also be a step back for his career.
Among the players who could eventually become "expendable" for the Vikings between now and the start of the season, Nailor stands above the rest because he'd hypothetically have the most trade value. Time will tell if that comes to fruition.