INDIANAPOLIS – Coach Kevin O'Connell said he envisions a Vikings offense that can further ascend with Adam Thielen as a contributor. Whether the veteran receiver thinks that's enough, and whether a financial gap can be bridged, remains to be seen.
Thielen's contract — which commands the team's highest 2023 cap hit for a non-quarterback player at nearly $20 million — is an ongoing discussion with the Vikings, as is Thielen's role in a passing attack that was led by receiver Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson at year's end.
"When you have the receiver that leads the league in yards and receptions," O'Connell said this week at the NFL scouting combine, "and have three other guys with 60-plus [catches], you feel really strong about that group. And I still think that there's places to go where we can build upon it even more. Adam is one of those leaders that I speak of; his teammates voted him as a captain.
"We're going to continue to take a look at what's the best route to go," he added. "There's a conversation to be had to really see what that looks like: playing time and roles and responsibilities. So that, regardless, all of our players feel like … it's a fair compensation for them. But we've got the kind of players where they care a lot about their role and their responsibilities and how they help us win, and you want those things to match up and for them to feel as good about it as we do. We'll have those conversations and dialogue and kind of see where it goes."
A solution with Thielen, whether via a new deal, a trade or release, will be the first domino for a Vikings receiving corps that could seek a jolt behind Jefferson. The Vikings will likely make multiple moves to create salary cap space before the March 15 open to free agency; the hard deadline with Thielen is March 17, when his $11.8 million base salary becomes guaranteed.
Thielen, the Detroit Lakes and Mankato product, said he was uncertain whether he would stay with the Vikings for an 11th season during a series of interviews last month for Super Bowl week. Thielen, who had 70 catches for 716 yards and six touchdowns last season, wanted to be a bigger part of the game plans, according to a source.
Thielen said as much on ESPN's "First Take" last month, when sharing that he wants to "help a team and show them that I can play at a high level."
"Will that be in Minnesota? I don't know," Thielen said. "I hope so. I hope to retire a Minnesota Viking."
O'Connell, General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and other Vikings evaluators watched Saturday as receivers ran through on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Even a supposedly thin 2023 receiver draft class might offer a better chance to add speed than free agency, where the youngest standout contributors who might be available are JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and D.J. Chark.
The Vikings relied heavily on three receivers during O'Connell's first season. Jefferson, Thielen and K.J. Osborn were rarely given a breather due to the Vikings' lack of depth. Receiver Jalen Reagor is under contract for another year after uneven returns on offense and special teams. Bisi Johnson, who suffered a second torn knee ligament last summer, is a pending free agent.
A true No. 1 receiver like Jefferson allows the Vikings to search for complements.
"We're always looking for diverse skill sets," O'Connell said, "that can allow you to just get creative with how you attack people over the course of a full season."
NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, said this draft class might lack the Ja'Marr Chase or Jefferson-level star, but he projected five first-round receivers between Southern California's Jordan Addison, Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Texas Christian's Quentin Johnston, Boston College's Zay Flowers, and Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt. North Carolina's Josh Downs is another quick and fast talent who could be gone by the time the Vikings make a second pick, currently slated at 87th overall in the third round.
Jeremiah projected the Vikings to go defense with the 23rd-overall pick. Minnesota's second-round pick rests in Detroit, from where the Vikings acquired Hockenson.
Oklahoma's Marvin Mims Jr., a burner who averaged 19.5 yards per catch in college, and Louisiana State's Kayshon Boutte, an inconsistent but talented threat with the ball, are among the projected mid-round options.
While Boutte didn't play with either Jefferson or Chase at LSU, he noted both as his favorite receivers.
"It motivates me 100 percent," Boutte said, "knowing that I came from the same place they came from, and I'm getting the same opportunity they got."