The Vikings aren't exactly off to a hot start in 2021, looking to avoid falling to 1-4 against the Lions on Sunday, but one thing that has popped this season is Minnesota's offense. That wasn't the case against the Browns in Week 4, but Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and Co. have otherwise been potent, upsetting the Seahawks and going toe to toe with the Cardinals the week prior. And then there's maybe the most surprising emergence of all: that of K.J. Osborn, one of the Vikings' emergent weapons out wide.
A fifth-round pick out of Miami in 2020, Osborn played just nine games as a rookie, recording zero catches and finding mixed results as the team's kick returner. But then came this summer, when his athleticism was more apparent and Minnesota opted for him over bigger or more established names like Dede Westbrook, Chad Beebe and Ihmir Smith-Marsette as the No. 3 wide receiver. Four games into 2020, and he's clearly Cousins' favorite target outside of Jefferson and Adam Thielen, as The Athletic's Chad Graff notes:
The wide receiver was the star of Vikings' offseason workouts, but it's one thing to shine in July and another to translate that to actual NFL games. Yet that's what Osborn has done. The second-year player has 219 receiving yards (just barely behind Adam Thielen's 227) on 17 catches with a touchdown.
More importantly, he's become a reliable threat on third- and fourth-downs and a great third option, something the Vikings haven't had since Jarius Wright left. Wide receiver was one of the team's biggest question areas entering the season, but Osborn's emergence has eased those concerns.
Not only that, but it turns out Osborn isn't just emerging on the field. Earlier this season, before any casual NFL fans knew his name, the wideout joined fellow Vikings Mackensie Alexander, C.J. Ham and D.J. Wonnum, as well as former Vikings All-Pro linebacker Scott Studwell, to help build a brand-new home for a single mother in the Minneapolis area.
Partnering with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Sleep Number, Osborn chipped in to construct a four-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot home for Gretchen Leininger, whose 23-year-old daughter, Isabel, was diagnosed with leukemia at age 5 and renal cell carcinoma, or kidney cancer, in high school. Isabel is now on treatment for her condition, but her mother was previously unable to afford a home because of her medical costs. That's where Osborn helped step in, hanging drywall and contributing other work to build the house.
"Just seeing the look on her face, I got a little teary-eyed hearing her story," Osborn said, as Vikings.com noted. "It's a blessing to be able to come over here. This is my first time doing something like this. But it definitely won't be my last."
Chris Coleman, president and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, had high praise for Osborn and his teammaes.
"This is pretty special to have this Vikings partnership and have some (players) come out and swing a hammer," he said. "We can communicate to Vikings fans and foes alike that when we can come together to build a house, we can come together to change a life."
