Even with just four picks entering the 2025 NFL Draft, wide receiver was possibly somewhere on the radar for the Minnesota Vikings. And indeed, with the final pick of the third round (No. 102 overall), they took Tai Felton out of Maryland.
The addition of Felton is a notable shake-up to the competition to be the Vikings' No. 3 wide receiver. with Jalen Nailor entering the final year of his contract and free agent signing Rondale Moore as more of a gadget player. No. 2 wide receiver Jordan Addison is also facing a potential suspension after being arrested last offseason.
Felton had a notable uptick in his role in Maryland's offense in 2023, which yielded a small breakthrough (48 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns). Last season, the full breakout came, as he finished with 96 receptions (on 143 targets) for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games.
He was the Big Ten leader in receptions and receiving yards at the end of the regular season, as Tyler Warren and Jeremiah Smith needed College Football Playoff games to top him. Felton did not even get a bowl game with the 4-8 Terrapins.
Recent NFL Draft intel reveals Tai Felton was a hand-picked selection by the Minnesota Vikings
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently put together some post-draft intel for each team around the NFL. He noted how the Vikings were in a position to take "a few upside plays" with so few picks, and Felton "fits that mold." But there was a deeper layer that drove the Vikings' decision to draft him.
"The Vikings had intimate knowledge of Felton coming out of Maryland's pro day, which Minnesota wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell helped run. McCardell was able to get an up-close view of Felton.
Felton's 4.37-second 40 and near-40-inch vertical make him an intriguing target for Minnesota QB J.J. McCarthy, and for a receiver room that faces a few questions: Jordan Addison was arrested and charged with DUI last summer, which could result in an eventual suspension, and Jalen Nailor is a 2026 free agent."
Felton's 4.37-second 40 at the NFL Combine tied for sixth-fastest among wide receivers this year. His 39.5-inch vertical was fourth, and his 10-foot-10-inch broad jump was fifth. Those latter two numbers are not something you'd expect from a receiver who measures 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds.
Intangibles are typically a differentiator for teams as they hone in on which players to draft. Keenan McCardell's hands-on experience at Maryland's Pro Day clearly led the Vikings to hone in on Felton as the wide receiver they wanted.