A big-play deep threat out of Michigan State who posted career-high numbers in his fourth NFL season.
Jalen Nailor spent four seasons developing into a reliable downfield weapon for the Minnesota Vikings after arriving as a sixth-round pick in 2022. Known for his explosiveness after the catch, he capped his run in Minnesota with a career year in 2025.
Path to the league
Nailor played four seasons at Michigan State from 2018 to 2021, finishing with 86 receptions for 1,454 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the Big Ten in yards per catch in 2020 at 19.8 and ranked second in the conference in 2021. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round, 191st overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Nailor spent four seasons with the Vikings, totaling 69 receptions for 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns across 55 games. He posted a career-high six touchdown catches in 2023, showing a knack for finding the end zone on a limited number of targets.
2025 season recap
Nailor set career highs in 2025 with 29 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns for Minnesota, closing out his time with the Vikings on his best statistical season yet before departing in free agency.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jalen Nailor
- ESPN: Jalen Nailor
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
17 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 29 | 444 | 15.3 | 4 | 62 |
| 2024 | vikings | 17 | 28 | 414 | 14.8 | 6 | 33 |
| 2023 | vikings | 6 | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 0 | 16 |
| 2022 | vikings | 15 | 9 | 179 | 19.9 | 1 | 47 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 15 |
| 2024 | vikings | 17 | 3 | -4 | -1.3 | 0 | 3 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Michigan State
- Hometown
- Palmdale, CA, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
