Beyond the run blocking success, Oliver boasted the second-highest rating among all tight ends in 2024 with at least 20 targets, catching 22 of his 28 targets for 258 yards and three touchdowns for a 140.8 rating, according to Next Gen Stats. Only Baltimore’s Mark Andrews — who hauled in 55 of his 69 targets for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns — finished with a better rating of 140.9.
“He’s versatile,” Jones said. “I think that’s the big thing people fall asleep on. We have T.J. [Hockenson], who’s doing a lot of the pass catching, so they fall asleep when [Oliver] is out there. They think, ‘Oh, he’s just hand in the dirt, going to block outside zone, or mid zone,’ something like that. Until his hand’s in the dirt and you see him release — then guys are scrambling. ‘OK, this dude’s kind of fast, and he’s big.’
“It gives you different places to put the ball up. He’s a big target,” he added. “He can go up, he can jump. He’s like a power forward out there, if you ask me.”
Oliver initially joined the Vikings in March 2023 as a free agent. Through his first two seasons in Minnesota, he’s totaled 44 catches for 471 yards and five touchdowns.
