October 27, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Westbrook (89), a Minnesota Vikings wide receiver, entered the field before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets at TIAA Bank Field. Compulsory Credit: Douglas Defellis – USA Today Sports
Wide receiver Dead Westbrook returns to the Vikings for at least one workout. Before the 2021 season, the Vikings signed him, and fans were thrilled with the news. They finally expected a good third receiver on the team. However, it did not work as well as the people.
Westbrook tore his ACL in the 2020 season. He was injured on 26 October at 7 weeks. Exactly nine months later, he signed his contract in Minnesota. At training camp, Westbrook was a limited participant and has not yet fully recovered from his injury.
At 1 week, however, Westbrook was active and caught his only goal. Overall, he was disappointed in his role as a receiver, as he finished the season with 10 catches in 68 yards and no scores. Westbrook was the Punt Returner of the team and offered some reliability in terms of Punt Returning after the disastrous 2020 season.
Before his ACL injury, Westbrook was a big part of the Jacksonville Jaguar offense. In the first three seasons of his career, he caught 253 passes for 1716 yards with punt return duty. His best season came in 2018 when he recorded a PFF grade of 71.3. He made 66 receptions for 717 yards and five touchdowns.
If he can get back to the pre-injury level, he will be a great addition to the offense. If he can’t, he’ll still play an important role, as the Vikings don’t have a real punt returner on the roster. In addition, he could be an emergency receiver. He is definitely a talented player. In 2016, he won the Biletnicoff Award, the honor of being the most outstanding receiver in college football. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2017 draft.
The Vikings currently employ star receivers, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thilen. KJ Osborn was the third receiver in 2021. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did not make a wideout until the 6th round of his first draft when he selected Jalen Nailor. The 2021 draft pick could have an extended role under Ihmir Smith-Merced, coach Kevin O’Connell. He flashed, especially in the final game of the season against the Bears when he had 103 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings are expected to play many more games with a third receiver on the field under the new scheme. Hadley had a third receiver at 87% of O’Connell’s Rams in Snap, while 60% of the 2021 Vikings had only a third receiver on the field in the play. A significant difference that makes the depth of the receiver room much more important. If Westbrook can make a good impression in his workout, the receiver can go back to the Vikings.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who has a myth of numbers and statistics. Despite Christian Ponder being a quarterback at the time, he chose the Vikings as his favorite team. He has a walking football encyclopedia and his favorite music genre of classic rock. Arguing about the Vikings on Twitter is one of his favorite things. If you like Vikings, follow him on Twitter: িকJanicEcard
