Daily Norseman
A detailed look at the Vikings’ 3rd round draft pick
With the 102nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Tai Felton, WR, Maryland. Felton was ranked #126 on the consensus board and was the 16th ranked wide receiver. He was the 14th wide receiver selected in the draft.
Overall, this pick was within fair value range (#126 with a standard deviation of 41.7). This was the last pick of the 3rd round and the next pick- the first of Day Three- was also for a wide receiver so there was a chance Felton could have been the next pick if the Vikings had not selected him at #102.
Prior to this pick, the Vikings traded down from #97, a 3rd round compensatory pick received for Kirk Cousins signing with the Atlanta Falcons last year. The Vikings traded #97 and #187 for picks #102 and #142 from the Houston Texans. This was a fair trade with one side or the other coming out with a slim surplus (equivalent to a 7th round pick) depending on which value chart you use. I also doubt the Vikings missed out on any key prospect by moving down the five spots- and almost certainly no prospect at a position of need.
Tai Felton is a very interesting pick. At first glance, he doesn’t seem like an inspired choice at the end of the third round as his scouting reports from some of the better known sources provide luke warm or worse assessments of his abilities. But a more detailed assessment suggests a receiver with a high ceiling who already does a lot of things well and could ascend from a potential WR3 to WR2 or even WR1 if Justin Jefferson wasn’t on the roster. He could also not pan out if he doesn’t fix the issues in his game. Beyond that, his skillset could also be a perfect complement to those of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, making him an inspired choice for the Vikings. Let me explain.
Felton is 6’1” and brings sub-4.4” speed to the table. He’s a little light at 183 pounds but that’s not a major issue (he’s ten pounds heavier than Jordan Addison). He’s also a very good route runner with good footwork, very good after the catch, and is also quick in his movements. He also had a lot of production last season at Maryland. But where he struggles at times is at the catchpoint. He had a relatively high drop rate at 7.7% (although same as Tetairoa McMillian who was drafted #8) last season and didn’t fare all that well in contested catch situations (38.9% catch rate). The big issue here is poor technique at times, which makes it more difficult for him to make the catch and/or makes it easier for the defender to break up the reception.
These are fixable issues but it takes time and practice to break old habits. In the meantime, drops for receivers are...
