First-year Vikings WR 'seems like a shoo-in' for final 2023 roster

When it comes to the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver depth chart, we already know that Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, and Jordan Addison have a firm lock on the top three spots. But after them, the other receivers that the Vikings decide to keep for their final 2023 roster is still up in the air.

Brandon Powell is among the group of players competing for one of Minnesota's final wide receiver spots this summer, and according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis, he's been "[taking] advantage of his opportunities" this summer during the team's training camp. Based on what he's observed so far, Lewis believes that Powell "seems like a shoo-in" to make the Vikings' final 53-man roster this year.

Powell was signed by the Vikings this past March, and before joining Minnesota, he spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was with him in 2021 with the Rams, so there is a familiarity between the two.

Something that will probably give Powell an edge over some of the other Minnesota wide receivers on the roster bubble is his experience as a return man.

With Los Angeles in 2022, he returned 30 kickoffs and 24 punts. During his two seasons with the Rams, he averaged 10.3 yards per punt return and 21.4 yards per kick return.

Coincidentally, the only return touchdown in Powell's NFL career happened inside U.S. Bank Stadium when he returned a punt 61 yards the other way for a score to help Los Angeles get a win over the Vikings in Week 16 of the 2021 season.

Powell and Jalen Reagor are the only two wide receivers on Minnesota's roster bubble that have returned at least one punt and one kickoff at the NFL level.

So when looking at his past with O'Connell, his special teams experience, and his performance during Vikings training camp this summer, maybe it shouldn't be that surprising when Powell is thought to be a "shoo-in" for the team's final 2023 roster, as Lewis believes.