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Meet Brandon Powell, the Vikings receiver who could really step up with Justin Jefferson out

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·3 min read

No single Vikings player is capable of matching the output of star receiver Justin Jefferson.

It’s going to take a village to replace his production on the field, with rookie receiver Jordan Addison, veteran receiver K.J. Osborn, and talented tight end T.J. Hockenson leading the charge while Jefferson is on injured reserve.

That said, slot receiver Brandon Powell is a player to look out for as the Vikings try to fill the void. Though his 5-foot-8, 180-pound frame might suggest otherwise, Powell is a bulldog, and he’s more than capable of holding his own if asked to take on a bigger role.

There was a glimpse of that last week as Powell stepped up to make four catches for 43 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs — with most of that coming after Jefferson left the game.

“It does not surprise me,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I’ve always really looked at Brandon as a guy that can do a lot of things that are really, really high level on the football field.”

Never mind that Powell has been buried on the depth chart behind Jefferson, Addison, and Osborn to this point. He is ready to help pick up the slack with Jefferson on the shelf for the next month.

“Everybody knows what he brings to the team,” Powell said of Jefferson. “We know we all have to step up in that room.”

Asked specially about Powell this week, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips heaped praise, saying, “He’s a guy who’s ready to go into the game and make plays at a moment’s notice.”

Powell’s playmaking ability first showed up at TCO Performance Center this summer. As he competed to be the Vikings’ punt returner, he also consistently found a way to make an impact as a receiver. He slowly started to stand out with each impressive play in practice.

“After training camp, I don’t think there was any question in anybody’s mind, including myself, that he could go in and be a playmaker for us,” Phillips said. “There was no question that he was going to be on this football team as a receiver.”

Not bad for a kid who starred at running back for most of his life growing up South Florida. He got a taste of what it was like to play receiver at the University of Florida before being passed over in the 2018 NFL Draft. He then bounced around the league, mostly as a punt returner, before finally latching on with the Los Angeles Rams.

As the punter returner for the Rams for a couple of seasons, Powell finally started to lean into the nuance of being a receiver, soaking up as much knowledge as he could from star receiver Cooper Kupp.

“He just pays attention to all the little details,” Powell said of Cupp. “That’s really what has helped me.”

As much pride as he takes in being an elite punt returner, Powell clearly has dedicated himself to becoming the best receiver he can be.

Now he’s going to get a chance to prove himself with arguably the biggest opportunity of his career.

“He does an unbelievable job in how he prepares on a weekly basis,” special-teams coordinator Matt Daniels said. “Ever since this guy has stepped in the building, all he’s done is make plays.”

Let’s just say the Vikings need more of that from Powell moving forward.

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