Michigan State Football: Jalen Nailor joins Kirk Cousins in Minnesota

Former Michigan State football star Jalen Nailor is teaming up with another Spartan in Minnesota, joining Kirk Cousins and the Vikings.

Earlier this week, I projected Jalen Nailor to go No. 187 overall to the 49ers to replace Deebo Samuel in the receiving corps, but with San Francisco likely retaining the receiver, it wasn’t exactly a necessity to get a wideout.

That caused Nailor to fall a little further than I had expected, going No. 191 overall to the Minnesota Vikings.

Nailor will be joining Kirk Cousins in Minnesota.

I saw Nailor as a sixth-rounder so this is a pretty good spot for him and he’ll have a chance to prove himself in camp.

Anyone who has watched Nailor knows that he has speed to burn. Heck, his nickname is “Speedy” for a reason, and he was a major deep threat for the Spartans over his career. Over the last two seasons, he caught 63 passes for 1,210 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also showcased strong hands, not dropping any deep balls thrown his way when they were catchable.

The Vikings don’t have the deepest receiving corps, but they do have one of the best young wideouts in the NFL in Justin Jefferson who broke out a couple of seasons ago as a rookie out of LSU. He, too, has plenty of speed.

Add in Nailor and the Vikings should have plenty of downfield threats for Cousins to air it out to.

Nailor was the second Spartan selected in the 2022 NFL Draft which is a good sign after zero went in 2021, breaking a decades-long streak. Kenneth Walker III went in round two to the Seahawks.