Vikings draft profile: TCU WR Jalen Reagor

If the cap-strapped Minnesota Vikings are going to contend for an NFC North division title and make a deep playoff run in 2020, they’ll need to draft very, very well.

The good news is general manager Rick Spielman has 12 draft picks to work with and two in the first round alone — Nos. 22 and 25.

In this “Vikings draft profile” series, we’ll look at several options for Minnesota in the first round and analyze their collegiate careers, highlight tape and how they’d fit with the organization.

In this edition we look at TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor.

OVERVIEW

A native of Waxahachie, Texas, Reagor chose to stay close to home and play college football at TCU. After committing to the Horned Frogs as the four-star recruit and the No. 15 player in Texas in the class of 2017 according to 247 Sports, Reagor contributed right away as a true freshman with 33 catches for 576 yards and eight touchdowns.

He improved his sophomore year with 72 receptions for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns, along with 13 rushes for 170 yards and two scores. Reagor had just 43 catches for 611 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 2019 but showed off his skills as a returner with two punt return touchdowns.

COMBINE RESULTS

40-yard dash: 4.47 seconds

Bench press: 17 reps

Vertical jump: 42.0 inches

Broad jump: 138.0 inches

3 cone drill: 7.31 seconds

20-yard shuttle: 4.46 seconds 

MEASURABLES 

FILM ROOM

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“Reagor is an absolutely electric player. He can come out of the backfield, line up at wide receiver and is a playmaker in the return game. A fast rising player who could work his way into the first round of the NFL draft.” – Draft Wire (USA Today)

“Spotty quarterback play helped cause a production drop, but his focus and competitiveness also seemed spotty at times. Reagor is a smooth athlete with blazing speed who has more playmaking talent than receiver skill and play-callers need to account for that when determining how to utilize him. He’s electric with the ball in his hands so getting it to him quickly rather than asking him to consistently make plays for himself as a ball-winner could be crucial. When 2019 is balanced against his 2018, the grade and projection begin to climb with a versatile receiver who’s able to spice the offensive gumbo.” – NFL.com

“Jalen Reagor is one of the most dynamic receiving prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. Reagor’s skill set fits best when projecting forward into a vertical passing offense as a Z-receiver, where he can defeat press coverage, attack down the field and force defenses to respect his speed or pay the consequences. Reagor brings explosive burst and simultaneous control on his stems to carry himself for separation — he’s got upside to work inside as a slot receiver as well.” – TheDraftNetwork.com

HOW HE FITS

Reagor’s athleticism pops off the screen and that has to be appealing to any NFL team in need of a wide receiver. One of those receiver-needy teams happens to be the Vikings and Reagor, with his speed, elusiveness and versatility, could be an ideal partner for Adam Thielen on the perimeter. The former TCU star has the ability to make plays in all sorts of different ways on offense and can make an early impact as a returner.