Can Vikings Punter Ryan Wright Bounce Back From Sophomore Slump?
Vikings punter Ryan Wright was outstanding as an undrafted rookie in 2022. He beat out veteran Jordan Berry for the job in training camp and didn't look back, putting together a strong season. Wright finished seventh out of 28 punters (minimum 50 punts) in net average. He was seventh in average hangtime and had just one touchback all year on 73 punts. Wright's season included a ten-punt game against the Dolphins where had a 73-yard punt and won NFC special teams player of the week honors.
2023 was a different story. Wright's net average dropped by over a full yard, his percentage of punts inside the 20 fell, and he had seven touchbacks on 59 punts. It was, to use his special teams coordinator's own words, a sophomore slump.
"After you come off the rookie year that he had, either you're going to continue to accelerate on the path that you're on or you're going to have what's considered to be a sophomore slump," Matt Daniels said. "And I would consider the performance that he had last year as somewhat of a sophomore slump. The highest touchback percentage in the league, whereas in year one, he led the league in lowest touchback percentage. Some good conversations have been had (about how he can bounce back)."
The Vikings have made it clear, through their actions, that Wright will have to earn the job in 2024. They signed Seth Vernon, a punter from Portland State with a big leg, to provide competition throughout OTAs and into training camp. Vernon, who was previously with the Falcons, was booming punts near the ceiling of the Vikings' indoor practice facility during Tuesday's OTA that was open to media members. It'll be interesting to see if Wright — who looks a bit slimmed-down this year — can hold off his competition and keep the job for a third season.
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WILL RAGATZ
Will Ragatz is the publisher of Inside the Vikings, an SI.com channel in the Fan Nation network. He's in his fourth season as a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat writer, covering the team at practices, games, and all offseason long. Will posts daily Vikings articles year-round. Not only is he on top of all the latest news, he provides the analysis and context to put the news into perspective. He knows the team inside and out, which allows him to bring depth and quality to his coverage. From free agency to the draft to training camp and the NFL season, Will covers every relevant story surrounding the Vikings. Prior to taking this role in 2019, Will attended Northwestern University and studied at the renowned Medill School of Journalism. As a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball, among other sports, for SB Nation's Inside NU. Will was a co-editor-in-chief of the site during his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned at Sports Illustrated's newsroom in New York City, writing articles primarily on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com. A native of Minneapolis who still resides in the city, Will grew up a diehard Minnesota sports fan. He played baseball at Southwest High School and wrote for the student newspaper.