KJO
After emerging as a reliable target for quarterback Kirk Cousins last season, Osborn is hoping to become an even bigger threat this season.A home run hitter so to speak.
“I want to be someone that can create those big plays,” Osborn said. “Not so much catching the ball and getting down. I want to make a guy miss and then make another guy miss and break that big play for us. Just be a game-changer.”
Though the 24-year-old has the ability to beat people deep, Osborn acknowledged that his big plays are likely going to come via yards after catch. He’s focused on getting stronger this offseason so he’s not as easy to bring down in the open field.
It should help that Osborn is feeling much more confident heading into this season. In the past, Osborn said he was so focused on not making a mistake that he would play it safe throughout a game. Instead of looking to hit a home run, for example, he would settle for single more often than not.
“Just being confident is a big thing,” Osborn said. “Now I’m able to play fast and not be worried about messing up. That’s going to allow me to get that (yards after catch) and create those big plays. I’m trying to take it to the next level. That’s what I’m striving to do right now.”
After playing sparingly as a rookie, Osborn proved to be a pleasant surprise in his second season last fall with 50 receptions for 655 yards and 7 touchdowns. He provided a tertiary option for the Vikings with star receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen garnering most of the attention.
Maybe down the road Osborn can garner similar attention.
“I want to get to the level that Justin and Adam are at right now,” he said. “They push me every single day to get better. And obviously (receivers coach Keenan McCardell) played in the league for a really long time. We have a lot of great guys in our room. They help me elevate my game.”
Something else that could help Osborn elevate his game is the new offense under head coach Kevin O’Connell. With an offensive-minded guy running the show nowadays, there should be more opportunities for the Vikings to push the ball down the field.
“It is definitely complex,” Osborn said of the new offense. “That’s what kind of makes it fun. We’re out here every day learning. We’re in the meeting rooms grinding. I’m a guy that likes to learn all the positions because I play all over the field.”
Not that Osborn feels entitled to a role. While he performed at a high level last season, and that likely gives him the upper hand heading into this season, Osborn knows the Vikings have a lot of talented receivers on the roster.
“I wouldn’t say I’m established or anything like that,” he said. “Obviously with a new offense I’m trying to learn that stuff and get it down and be the player that I want to be. My expectations for myself are probably higher than anybody else’s expectations for me. I’m my biggest critic. I’m expecting a lot out of myself.”
https://www.twincities.com/2022/06/03/vikings-receiver-k-j-osborn-wants-to-become-a-home-run-hitter-this-season/
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
The battle for #3 WR is going to be a fun one to watch unfold this year.
Is it just me? Or am I frequently reading about the complexity of the offense KOC is installing? I mean when players are openly talking about it, its gotta be a steep learning curve right?
Like his tude. he sounds hungry. Our WR room is a strength on the team for sure.
I like Osborn, but I also think he's limited. As a WR#3, no worries. Anything more? Nope.
@"StickyBun" said: I like Osborn, but I also think he's limited. As a WR#3, no worries. Anything more? Nope.
We've got several of those, which isn't a bad thing, just not very comforting knowing AT is getting long in the tooth and is starting to show his age injury wise. We really need a future 1B to Jefferson to really keep the foot on the gas offensively.
@"JimmyinSD" said:@"StickyBun" said: I like Osborn, but I also think he's limited. As a WR#3, no worries. Anything more? Nope.
We've got several of those, which isn't a bad thing, just not very comforting knowing AT is getting long in the tooth and is starting to show his age injury wise. We really need a future 1B to Jefferson to really keep the foot on the gas offensively.
Yup!@MB posted somewhere else that hopefully we wont feel a need to draft a QB high and can use that capital on a WR. And I agree, in a perfect world.
But we all know (sure as the sun sets in the West) there is going to be some QB's next year we're all gonna love and rationalize letting them curate a year or 2.
@"purplefaithful" said: The battle for #3 WR is going to be a fun one to watch unfold this year.Is it just me? Or am I frequently reading about the complexity of the offense KOC is installing? I mean when players are openly talking about it, its gotta be a steep learning curve right?
There is no battle for #3. KJ has that locked over the injured ISM and slowpoke Bisi. He may however start pushing Theilen for #2. Which would be a good thing.
@"RS Express" said:@"purplefaithful" said: The battle for #3 WR is going to be a fun one to watch unfold this year.Is it just me? Or am I frequently reading about the complexity of the offense KOC is installing? I mean when players are openly talking about it, its gotta be a steep learning curve right?
There is no battle for #3. KJ has that locked over the injured ISM and slowpoke Bisi. He may however start pushing Theilen for #2. Which would be a good thing.
I expect the rookie, Jalen Nailor, to also be in the mix. Supposedly, Keenan McCardell was pleased that we were able to land him in the 6th round.
@"purplefaithful" said:@"JimmyinSD" said:@"StickyBun" said: I like Osborn, but I also think he's limited. As a WR#3, no worries. Anything more? Nope.
We've got several of those, which isn't a bad thing, just not very comforting knowing AT is getting long in the tooth and is starting to show his age injury wise. We really need a future 1B to Jefferson to really keep the foot on the gas offensively.
Yup!@MB posted somewhere else that hopefully we wont feel a need to draft a QB high and can use that capital on a WR. And I agree, in a perfect world.
But we all know (sure as the sun sets in the West) there is going to be some QB's next year we're all gonna love and rationalize letting them curate a year or 2.
It's all about Cousins. He's the key to the whole thing. In your perfect world, he shines in the new offense. With Cousins only 34 and Mond as the developmental QB2, there's no need to draft a QB (though the Vikings might choose to anyway). The pick should be Thielen's heir. It's yet another good WR class.But if certain questions still remain about Cousins, cap reality says that pick will have to be a QB. Hopefully Will Levis doesn't have the kind of year that vaults him into the top 5, because he's perfect for this offense.
@"RS Express" said:@"purplefaithful" said: The battle for #3 WR is going to be a fun one to watch unfold this year.Is it just me? Or am I frequently reading about the complexity of the offense KOC is installing? I mean when players are openly talking about it, its gotta be a steep learning curve right?
There is no battle for #3. KJ has that locked over the injured ISM and slowpoke Bisi. He may however start pushing Theilen for #2. Which would be a good thing.
I agree. WR3 is not a competition. WR4 is where the real competition is, with Bisi, ISM and Nailor looking like pretty even competition.
Seems like AT has missed games more that past couple of seasons than his earlier years, so having solid #3, #4, and even #5 becomes very important. It's when the #1 and #2 WRs aren't available that the rest climb the ladder and have to be solid. I'm impressed with Osborn, and I think Bisi and ISM can be playmakers too, if JJ or AT weren't available for short stretches of games.
I agree that KJ is pretty firmly cemented as the #3, and
would probably be a functional #2 on many teams. I don’t really worry about AT or JJ missing a
couple games, because KJ can pick up enough of the slack and we can still be a
productive offense. The other guys behind him need to step up a bit.
@"medaille" said: I agree that KJ is pretty firmly cemented as the #3, and would probably be a functional #2 on many teams. I don’t really worry about AT or JJ missing a couple games, because KJ can pick up enough of the slack and we can still be a productive offense. The other guys behind him need to step up a bit.
until he gets a chance to prove otherwise I would question his ability as a #2, to me a #2 is a guy that still demands a double in the absence of the #1. If JJ and AT werent on the field, do you double KJ? I dont think so. IMO to date he is feasting on the opposing defenses taking over precautions against JJ and AT, not to mention DC, kind of the same thing with ISj, until they get a chance to show they are really more than role players I think its hard to say they are or arent, and they wont get that chance with a healthy rack of weapons like Cousins should have at his disposal. To date KJ looks like a nice complementary player IMO, but he could take another step this year and really grow into that #2 guy, I just aint holding my breath.
@"JimmyinSD" said:@"medaille" said: I agree that KJ is pretty firmly cemented as the #3, and would probably be a functional #2 on many teams. I don’t really worry about AT or JJ missing a couple games, because KJ can pick up enough of the slack and we can still be a productive offense. The other guys behind him need to step up a bit.
until he gets a chance to prove otherwise I would question his ability as a #2, to me a #2 is a guy that still demands a double in the absence of the #1. If JJ and AT werent on the field, do you double KJ? I dont think so. IMO to date he is feasting on the opposing defenses taking over precautions against JJ and AT, not to mention DC, kind of the same thing with ISj, until they get a chance to show they are really more than role players I think its hard to say they are or arent, and they wont get that chance with a healthy rack of weapons like Cousins should have at his disposal. To date KJ looks like a nice complementary player IMO, but he could take another step this year and really grow into that #2 guy, I just aint holding my breath.
I agree completely and it's why I wanted Jameson Williams. You get him healthy and playing by Halloween and there's your insurance in case of injury to JJ or Thielen, and if everybody stays healthy we would have probably went into the playoffs with the scariest set of receivers in the league and been a handful for teams to play against. Instead we have this really cool safety who wants to "stack bodies" in a league you can't stack bodies in anymore.
Also all this talk about drafting a receiver or quarterback next year sounds great, but if ISJ doesn't work out...I'd put TE towards the top of our needs list next season and there's a guy coming out next year who is the best TE prospect I've seen in a very long time in Michael Mayer.
@"JimmyinSD" said:@"medaille" said: I agree that KJ is pretty firmly cemented as the #3, and would probably be a functional #2 on many teams. I don’t really worry about AT or JJ missing a couple games, because KJ can pick up enough of the slack and we can still be a productive offense. The other guys behind him need to step up a bit.
until he gets a chance to prove otherwise I would question his ability as a #2, to me a #2 is a guy that still demands a double in the absence of the #1. If JJ and AT werent on the field, do you double KJ? I dont think so. IMO to date he is feasting on the opposing defenses taking over precautions against JJ and AT, not to mention DC, kind of the same thing with ISj, until they get a chance to show they are really more than role players I think its hard to say they are or arent, and they wont get that chance with a healthy rack of weapons like Cousins should have at his disposal. To date KJ looks like a nice complementary player IMO, but he could take another step this year and really grow into that #2 guy, I just aint holding my breath.
I think you have much more stringent definition of a number 2 than I do and would guess most people. How many teams have a #2 that meets your definition? For me, I'm just using the definition of the teams second best receiver.I think KJ will still be productive even with only one of JJ/AT drawing attention away from him. I don't think he is a guy that is only productive against other teams nicklebacks.
KJ in 2021 was #56 in terms of receiving yards, #72 in terms of receptions, and #24 in terms of receiving TDs. That's all positions mixed together for receiving stats.
I'm much more worried about ISJ than I am about KJ.
@"medaille" said:@"JimmyinSD" said:@"medaille" said: I agree that KJ is pretty firmly cemented as the #3, and would probably be a functional #2 on many teams. I don’t really worry about AT or JJ missing a couple games, because KJ can pick up enough of the slack and we can still be a productive offense. The other guys behind him need to step up a bit.
until he gets a chance to prove otherwise I would question his ability as a #2, to me a #2 is a guy that still demands a double in the absence of the #1. If JJ and AT werent on the field, do you double KJ? I dont think so. IMO to date he is feasting on the opposing defenses taking over precautions against JJ and AT, not to mention DC, kind of the same thing with ISj, until they get a chance to show they are really more than role players I think its hard to say they are or arent, and they wont get that chance with a healthy rack of weapons like Cousins should have at his disposal. To date KJ looks like a nice complementary player IMO, but he could take another step this year and really grow into that #2 guy, I just aint holding my breath.
I think you have much more stringent definition of a number 2 than I do and would guess most people. How many teams have a #2 that meets your definition? For me, I'm just using the definition of the teams second best receiver.I think KJ will still be productive even with only one of JJ/AT drawing attention away from him. I don't think he is a guy that is only productive against other teams nicklebacks.
KJ in 2021 was #56 in terms of receiving yards, #72 in terms of receptions, and #24 in terms of receiving TDs. That's all positions mixed together for receiving stats.
I'm much more worried about ISJ than I am about KJ.
many teams have a #2 that is very good and would start on most any team he would go to. I dont see KJ in the mold yet. To me that is a #2, would he be a starter on most other teams.
I think we need a little perspective here... last off-season the narrative was Osborn was in danger of being cut after an unproductive rookie year. Now after having a strong 2nd year, he's not that good because he's not a "#2 WR"...
Crazy how fan expectations change so quickly lol
@"Wetlander" said: I think we need a little perspective here... last off-season the narrative was Osborn was in danger of being cut after an unproductive rookie year. Now after having a strong 2nd year, he's not that good because he's not a "#2 WR"...Crazy how fan expectations change so quickly lol
Nah, I don't think there were expectations for Osborn really. I personally think he hit his ceiling last year. I like him very much as a #3 WR, better than Bisi.
But I don't see anything more for him. I actually wish the #3 offered something different: height, speed, etc. That ain't Osborn.
@"StickyBun" said:@"Wetlander" said: I think we need a little perspective here... last off-season the narrative was Osborn was in danger of being cut after an unproductive rookie year. Now after having a strong 2nd year, he's not that good because he's not a "#2 WR"...Crazy how fan expectations change so quickly lol
Nah, I don't think there were expectations for Osborn really. I personally think he hit his ceiling last year. I like him very much as a #3 WR, better than Bisi.
But I don't see anything more for him. I actually wish the #3 offered something different: height, speed, etc. That ain't Osborn.
I was speaking more to fans thinking we need to find someone better than him now because he isn't as good as Thielen or Jefferson...Like I get it, Thielen has gotten dinged the past two seasons, but so did Diggs when he was here and he is younger than Thielen. Would it be awesome to have 3 stud WRs on the field at once? You bet. But let's not crap on what we have right now... and that is a superstar in Jefferson and a 1b in Thielen... and a strong #3 WR in Osborn with some intriguing depth behind them (ISM, Bisi, and Nailor).
Look around the league and you'd be hard pressed to find a better trio than Jefferson, Thielen, and KJ.
@"Wetlander" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"Wetlander" said: I think we need a little perspective here... last off-season the narrative was Osborn was in danger of being cut after an unproductive rookie year. Now after having a strong 2nd year, he's not that good because he's not a "#2 WR"...Crazy how fan expectations change so quickly lol
Nah, I don't think there were expectations for Osborn really. I personally think he hit his ceiling last year. I like him very much as a #3 WR, better than Bisi.
But I don't see anything more for him. I actually wish the #3 offered something different: height, speed, etc. That ain't Osborn.
I was speaking more to fans thinking we need to find someone better than him now because he isn't as good as Thielen or Jefferson...Like I get it, Thielen has gotten dinged the past two seasons, but so did Diggs when he was here and he is younger than Thielen. Would it be awesome to have 3 stud WRs on the field at once? You bet. But let's not crap on what we have right now... and that is a superstar in Jefferson and a 1b in Thielen... and a strong #3 WR in Osborn with some intriguing depth behind them (ISM, Bisi, and Nailor).
Look around the league and you'd be hard pressed to find a better trio than Jefferson, Thielen, and KJ.
I like our WR room as is. I think we needed D and we focused on that at top of draft.Might be interesting to see what KJ did as the #2 on Thielens injury games last year. May settle the argument about KJ, at least coming into this year.
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