Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels was like a kid on Christmas when he found out the team traded for Eagles wide receiver and punt returner Jalen Reagor.
"Santa came," he said.
Punt returner was the one position on special teams where the Vikings still had a major question mark. They've been set at kicker and kick returner for a while, rookie Ryan Wright won the punting competition, and they've got experienced core special teamers like C.J. Ham, Josh Metellus, and Kris Boyd on the roster.
Now, by adding Reagor, they've got another dangerous weapon to complement Kene Nwangwu in the return game.
"I was salivating over this guy when he was coming out of college back in 2020," Daniels said. "What he offers is an immediate guy that spooks the punt team. He has the speed to race to the edge. He can attack vertically. He’s a guy that’s very confident back there."
The Vikings trading two draft picks to the Eagles for Reagor had a lot to do with the upside they believe the former first-round pick still has as a wide receiver. Head coach Kevin O'Connell wants to "find ways to activate what (Reagor) does well," and believes the Vikings' offense "provides him a real platform" to succeed, he said on KFAN radio.
On a more immediate level, it was just as much about upgrading at the No. 4 receiver spot as it was about landing a dangerous punt returner. Reagor took 2 of his 23 collegiate punt returns back for touchdowns, averaging 17.8 yards per return. He's averaged over nine yards per return in the NFL, with one touchdown.
According to Daniels, Reagor got to work quickly with the Vikings' special teams coaches and players after arriving in Minnesota.
"Just getting to know him, since he got in last week, he immediately approached the meeting saying, ‘I want to be the guy,' Daniels said. "I’m like, ‘You’re the guy. You’re the guy.' He immediately wanted to start connecting with his blockers. I thought that was really important. We’ve already had a lot of meetings talking about what he likes to do, so that the schematics are aligned with what his strengths are. We’ve been getting extra work before practice and after practice working catches and working on setting up the return. I like where he’s at right now. He’s a guy that’s going to be a problem when the ball is in his hands."
There's a lot more that goes into returning punts than simply catching the ball and going. The athleticism and vision of the returner are important, but there are also various schemes, approaches, and blocking strategies that come into play.
"I asked him, 'Hey, what do you like? What do you want to do?'" Daniels said. "He went into my office, I kinda showed him what we did last year from a schematic standpoint, and he kinda said what he likes to do, and I told him, 'OK, these are the type of blocking techniques that we do have in place. Alright, we're gonna work it out how you want to.' So it's a little bit of a good, mutual understanding between us."
It starts with the catch, of course. Reagor had some issues at times during his Eagles career with not catching the ball cleanly. Even on his one career punt return for a touchdown — against the Packers, coincidentally — he put the ball on the ground before picking it up and racing to the end zone.
Daniels said he wants to make sure Reagor's confidence is high and his process is sound, citing that even elite returners like Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs muffed punts at times.
Once Reagor does have the ball in his hands, he's able to make things happen. Great returners have to have a certain level of speed, agility, elusiveness, and vision. Reagor's ability to change directions and accelerate was a big reason why he was a first-rounder just two years ago. Daniels thinks he has all of the physical tools to be great, starting with the way he's built.
"Honestly he’s a lot bigger than — well not necessarily bigger, but more stout, he’s a very stout, cocky built guy," Daniels said. "He’s not really narrow. He’s got thick, strong legs, big glutes, really nice calves. Yeah. I’m salivating over this guy. Just being able to see him in person it’s like, ‘Man this guy’s got some weight to him.' He’s really hard to tackle. He has the ability to make you miss. He’s elusive. And obviously he has the home run speed to take it the distance. That’s what makes him so spooky."
The Vikings have high hopes for what Reagor can become as a receiver in their offense, but they'll bring him along slowly in that regard. If he can provide a Nwangwu-like impact in the punt return phase this year and beyond, that alone will be enough to make the trade a successful one.
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