NFL.com analytics expert Cynthia Frelund has projected who each team’s most improved player in 2020 will be.
Frelund’s choice for the Minnesota Vikings was wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who signed a one-year deal with the Vikings this season after spending the first three years of his career with the Titans.
Here’s what Frelund wrote about Sharpe and the Vikings:
Last season, the Vikings threw 12 touchdowns of 10-plus air yards to players aligned wide, per NGS, and while the team did draft Justin Jefferson, there should still be snaps to be had in the wake of Stefon Diggs’ trade to Buffalo. In an offseason that included big-name wideouts changing teams and a very deep receiver class in the draft, Sharpe’s signing in Minnesota did not draw many headlines, but the veteran was an actively sought-after free agent. The teams I spoke to that were interested in him consistently brought up his ability when aligning wide, something the former fifth-round pick did on 76 percent of snaps as a Titan last season, per NGS.
The Vikings would certainly love for this to happen as they try to move on without Diggs.
As a rookie in 2017, Sharpe finished with 41 catches for 522 yards, but in the last two seasons, he’s combined for just 51 catches and 645 receiving yards.
If Sharpe can have a solid season, that would be huge for this offense. His one-year, $1 million deal would certainly look like a bargain.