Vikings Bringing in Punter Competition for Ryan Wright

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Ryan Wright
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings ended their kicking competition extremely early, in training camp. Will Reichard won the job so quickly that his competition, John Parker Romo, was sent packing before he realized he didn’t stand a chance. But that’s at kicker. The punter competition has gone quite differently.

Ryan Wright not a guarantee for the Minnesota Vikings

Head coach Kevin O’Connell set the Vikings’ 53-man roster last week. After a back-and-forth camp battle, Ryan Wright won his 2023 job back, over challenger, Seth Vernon. Even then, however, reports suggested he was still punting for his job on a daily basis, at practice.

That proved Thursday, when news broke via James Larsen (PFN) that the Minnesota Vikings are bringing in former USFL punter, Brock Miller, for a workout.

Brock Miller was a standout in the now disbanded USHL. His big leg has turned some heads, and keeps getting him professional chances. Now, the Vikings are giving him another one. We’ll see if he can take advantage. Remember, Wright is also the holder for Will Reichard. That matters.

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The Vikings have seen similar results from Wright, but consistency has been an issue. Minnesota is simply bringing Miller in for a tryout, and it seems unlikely they would sign him this week. The information could help them to make further determinations after Wright gets a game or two under his belt.

How does Ryan Wright keep the Minnesota Vikings punting job?

Minnesota has employed Wright each of the past two seasons. He was a standout during his rookie year thanks to efficiency. While he can boom the football, the punter role is most about capitalizing on field position. Wright put 43.8% of his kicks inside the 20 during his first season. He had just one touchback and was considered an asset.

Last year Wright had a greater yards per attempt, but his efficiency tanked. The Vikings punted landed just 28.8% of his kicks inside the 20, and seven of them bounced into the end zone. It was a significant step backwards, and Kevin O’Connell needs his team to improve on the margins.

Related: Vikings are Incredibly Healthy Entering Week 1… Except at WR

With a new quarterback, and working through personnel changes, field position will be imperative for the Vikings. Wright’s sole purpose ties directly into that category and his leash is incredibly short. Minnesota will be evaluating their punter on a per-kick basis, and if that seems stressful, it probably should be.

It remains to be seen if Wright can hold the job all season long. Right now, it would seem to be an uphill battle.

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