Bisi

Johnson

Johnson missed all of 2022 after suffering a torn ACL in training camp. He’s now missed back-to-back seasons with a torn ACL and hasn’t played a down of football since Week 17 of the 2020 season. Since being drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Johnson has appeared in 32 games, totaling 45 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns. Wherever he lands, he’ll undoubtedly arrive on a cheap deal, but will need to battle for a spot on the 53-man roster in camp.

Johnson was in the final season of his rookie contract and appeared to have made the roster, so this is a brutal break for him. He’ll likely be placed on IR in the coming days as the Vikings trim to 53. He has now torn his ACL in each of the last two seasons.

Johnson was subject to an immediate rule-out, which is never a good sign. After making some noise with a 31-catch rookie campaign in 2019, Johnson has only 14 receptions over the past two years thanks in part to a summer 2021 torn ACL. His 53-man roster spot was probably in danger before tonight’s injury. Now he could end up back on injured reserve.

Wilson signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal in May. He had a shot at being a depth option at receiver and a kick returner, though Minnesota clearly liked what they had elsewhere on the roster. The move is a good sign for Ihmir Smith-Marsette. The Vikings added Smith-Marsette in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He didn’t see the field much as a rookie but did generate a few splash plays late in the year, scoring twice on a measly five catches. He will likely operate as the team’s primary kick returner while competing with Bisi Johnson for WR4 duties.

Inexcusably a starter over Justin Jefferson to begin the season, Johnson fell into the No. 3 receiver role from Week 3 on. He only caught 14 passes for 189 yards and zero touchdowns while Minnesota leaned on two-receiver sets. Chad Beebe is a free agent this offseason, but Jefferson and Adam Thielen are under contract. Johnson, a 2018 seventh-round pick, projects as a career backup. 2021 will be his age-24 season.

Johnson jumped into the starting lineup with Adam Thielen ruled out, and he even had a quality fantasy line after the Vikings were put into negative game script. Kirk Cousins is extremely unlikely to come anywhere near his 45 pass attempts next week against the Jaguars. Starting Johnson in fantasy next week would be too fancy even if Thielen can’t play.

Getting the nominal start as the No. 2 wideout behind Adam Thielen and ahead of rookie Justin Jefferson, Johnson’s four targets were tied with Alexander Mattison for second on the team behind Thielen’s eight. This very well could go down as one of Johnson’s better games of the season. He’s not someone worth owning in fantasy at this point.

It’s a notable distinction because 51% of the Vikings pass attempts late last season came with only two receivers on the field. Bisi Johnson appears to be the other starter in two-TE sets alongside Adam Thielen with Jefferson getting reps in three-receiver sets and when the two starters need a breather. Keep expectations low for Jefferson early, but he’s a breakout candidate in the second half of 2020. Cronin believes Jefferson “looked every bit the part of a first-rounder in training camp whether he lined up in the slot or outside.”

It sounds like the competition is already over for three-receiver sets, but the real battle is for the No. 2 job because the Vikings use two-tight end sets as much as any offense in the NFL. Jefferson reportedly has had good and bad days in training camp, so there’s an off chance that Johnson gets early-season run as the No. 2. With that said, it’s likely that Jefferson, a first-round pick who caught over 100 passes at LSU last season, walks away with this secondary role within a few games, if not in the season opener.

The No. 247 overall pick of the draft, Johnson emerged as the Vikings’ No. 3 receiver after Chad Beebe landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury in September. He turned the role into a decent 31/294/3 line behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs in the Vikings’ run-first offense. Thielen missing six games with injury certainly helped. With Thielen and Diggs both playing under long-term contracts, Johnson’s dynasty league upside is minimal.