Vikings’ K.J. Osborn considers himself NFL’s best No. 3 receiver, has lofty goals for 2022 – InForum

MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Jefferson isn’t the only Minnesota Vikings receiver who has no problem touting his abilities.

Jefferson has said he’s the NFL’s second-best receiver behind Davante Adams of Las Vegas, and will be the best at the end of the season. Meanwhile, K.J. Osborn was asked this week if he considers himself the best No. 3 receiver in the NFL.

“Yes, sir,” Osborn said.

Osborn is Minnesota’s No. 3 receiver behind Jefferson and Adam Thielen. After catching 50 passes for 655 yards in his breakout season of 2021, the third-year pro is feeling quite good about 2022.

“You should have that confidence in yourself just to go out there and play,” Osborn said. “At the end of the day, we’re not playing other receivers, we’re playing (defensive backs), but everybody should have that confidence in themselves.”

Osborn previously has said that the Vikings have “the best” group of receivers in the NFL.

Osborn has made great strides since being a fifth-round draft pick in 2020 and not playing a single snap from scrimmage as a rookie. He is aiming a lot higher than 50 receptions for 2022, but didn’t want to be precise when asked to identify his goals.

“I have all types of goals,” he said. “I’ve got them written up on my mirror (at home). I keep them to myself. They’re all there, but they’re lofty. I can’t publicize them, but obviously my expectations for myself are bigger than what any player or coach (has for me).”

Osborn said he will decide after the season whether to reveal what individual goals he set. But he had no problem identifying his top team goal.

“My No. 1 goal is to win the Super Bowl,” he said.

A week after the Vikings waived two players listed first on their depth chart, they provided an updated chart on Tuesday heading into Sunday’s opener against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium.

As expected, Jonathan Bullard is listed as a first-team defensive end in place of Armon Watts, and wide receiver Jalen Reagor is listed as the punt returner in place of Ihmir Smith-Marsette. After they were waived, Watts and Smith-Marsette both were claimed by Chicago. Bullard previously had been second string on the depth chart, and Reagor was acquired last week from Philadelphia.

Also, Akayleb Evans, a fourth-round draft pick, is listed ahead of fellow rookie Andrew Booth Jr., a second-round selection, to be the primary backup at outside cornerback.

Vikings nose tackle Harrison Phillips will face Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday for the second time. The first time he ran into Rodgers, it wasn’t pretty.

In the fourth game of Phillips’ rookie season of 2018 with Buffalo, the Bills played at Lambeau Field. Rodgers completed 22 of 40 passes for 298 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and the Packers won 22-0.

At least Phillips can laugh about one moment from that game. It involved Phillips having played at Stanford and Rodgers at archrival California.

“It was actually one of my welcome-to-the-NFL-moments was playing against Aaron Rodgers,” said Phillips, who played for Buffalo from 2018-21. “We had a funny altercation. He made a jab about Stanford, I said something about Cal. He tried to get us to jump offsides, and I knew it.”