Former Gopher WR just became available for Vikings to sign if they want

Following the 2020 NFL Draft, some members of the Minnesota Vikings fan base felt disappointed that the team didn't end up using one of their selections on former Minnesota Golden Gopher, Tyler Johnson. Instead, Johnson wound up getting drafted in 2020 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round.

But now, the Vikings might have another chance to add the Minnesota native to their roster before the start of the 2023 season, as the young wide receiver was released by the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday.

Johnson was signed to a reserve/futures contract back in January by the Raiders after spending the 2022 season with both the Bucs and the Houston Texans.

Should the Minnesota Vikings sign former Golden Gophers WR Tyler Johnson?

After a standout career at the University of Minnesota, which included catching 25 touchdown passes in his final two seasons at the school, Johnson hasn't been able to experience as much success during his time in the NFL.

Since getting drafted by Tampa in 2020, he's accumulated 48 catches for 529 yards and two touchdowns in 33 games for both the Bucs and the Texans. Johnson's best single-game performance so far came back in 2021 when he caught five passes for 65 yards in Tampa's Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Even with the Vikings using a first-round draft pick on USC's Jordan Addison earlier this year, Minnesota's wide receiver depth is still a big question mark heading into the 2023 season. So taking a chance on someone like Johnson might be something worth considering for the Vikings.