How the Minnesota Vikings address the wide receiver position will say everything about how they feel about Kyler Murray

The Minnesota Vikings have a hole on offense with their group of playmakers. After Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, there are major question marks past the 2026 season. How they address will be key.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) walks off the field after the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium.
Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) walks off the field after the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is going to tell us a lot about how the Minnesota Vikings feel about their roster.

Going into the NFL Draft, they have a bevy of needs on both sides of the football. They arguably need multiple players at cornerback, safety, and defensive tackle. not just for the future, but to field a competitive team in the 2026 season.

On offense, they don’t have a single need classified as desperate. What they do have are needs that could be massive next year if they don’t get them addressed.

How Minnesota Vikings addresses wide receiver and tight end will show how much they like Kyler Murray

The group of weapons that the Vikings have is fascinating on the surface. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are a great wide receiver duo, but there are serious questions after them. Tai Felton was selected in the third round last season, but couldn’t break out of being a core special teams player. He hasn’t exactly given any reason that he should be trusted with that role.

At tight end, T.J. Hockenson will now be a free agent after the 2026 season, with Josh Oliver as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. They need to find a developmental player at the position and a potential starter to replace Hockenson. That’s where the intrigue of the NFL Draft comes into play.

It will also be a big signal on what they want to do with the offense moving forward. Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will be competing for the starting job, but they are very different players. One thing that Murray thrived with in Arizona under Drew Petzing was heavy personnel. He thrived the more tight ends they brought into the game, especially throwing the football.

PersonnelPercentageEPA/PassEPA/Rush
1150.77%0.010.10
1228.86%0.150.07
1315.64%0.56-0.02

With that element in play, adding a tight end early in the NFL Draft like Kenyon Sadiq of the Oregon Ducks could be a fascinating player to maximize what he likes to do. He thrives going up the seam and has the movement skills to be used in a variety of ways.

The other interesting element with how Murray likes to attack down the field is with jump balls. He throws a lot of them. In 2024, Pro Football Focus has the Cardinals charted with having 90 contested catch attempts and 45 completions. His top wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., had 38 of his 114 targets contested, and his top tight end, Trey McBride, had 21 of his 139 targets contested.

Right now, the Vikings don’t have that guy to go up and get a jump ball. Yeah, Jefferson and Addison are good at the catch point, but they aren’t that guy. Adding a player like Sadiq or Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston would be a signal that they want to help out Murray to be the guy this year and beyond.

It would be bold of the Vikings to make a selection that, in theory, prioritizes Murray. However, with McCarthy’s lack of success, it isn’t a bad idea to make a pick to help him, especially if they fit the future, no matter who plays quarterback.

The NFL Draft will be a strong signal for how they want to prioritize their offense moving forward, and it could tell us more about Murray’s future.

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