Player
Josh Oliver
TE · Vikings
Oliver's role illustrates how modern offenses fractionate the TE position — one player moves the chains, another scores. As long as Hockenson is the pass-catcher, Oliver is the low-ownership fantasy sleeper who punches above his snap count in the red zone.
The red-zone secret weapon hiding behind T.J. Hockenson: more TDs from the #2 TE spot than the starter.
TrendMIN TE red-zone TDs (2023-2025)
| Player | RZ Targets | RZ TDs | TD/Tgt% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Oliver | 15 | 8 | 53.3% |
| T.J. Hockenson | 34 | 7 | 20.6% |
| Johnny Mundt | 9 | 3 | 33.3% |
In the same offense, with the same quarterback, the backup TE has more red-zone TDs than the All-Pro starter. Oliver's 53.3% TD-per-red-zone-target rate since arriving in Minnesota is more than 2.5× Hockenson's 20.6%.
O'Connell's offense splits TE targets by role — Hockenson gets the routes, Oliver gets the endgame. In heavy-personnel (13) sets, Oliver has 3 TDs from 7 receptions: a 43% catch-to-TD rate.
Why it matters. Oliver's role illustrates how modern offenses fractionate the TE position — one player moves the chains, another scores. As long as Hockenson is the pass-catcher, Oliver is the low-ownership fantasy sleeper who punches above his snap count in the red zone.
4 receiving TDs in 2025 on just 15 catches — a 26.7% TD-per-catch rate that's borderline absurd for a TE.
RareOliver 2025 season (Wk 1-18)
| Rec | Yds | TDs | TD/Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 160 | 4 | 26.7% |
Through the 2025 regular season, Oliver has 4 receiving TDs on only 15 catches — a 26.7% TD-per-catch rate that's borderline absurd for a TE. His prior career best was 3 TDs (2024).
The Vikings have leaned into red-zone TE concepts with O'Connell at HC, and Oliver's frame has made him the goal-line option behind T.J. Hockenson. More career TDs as a Viking (9) than catches as a Jaguar (3).
Why it matters. A 26.7% TD-per-catch rate is unsustainable long-term, but it isn't random: Oliver is specifically designed into short-yardage looks in O'Connell's system. The underlying usage pattern — few targets, nearly all in scoring range — is what drives the efficiency.
First NFL touchdown: a 1-yard catch at the 1-yard line vs. New England — three years, three teams, 30 games after his rookie debut.
MilestoneOliver TD-scoring games (all career)
| Year | Wk | Opp | TD yardline | Total Rec | Total Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | NE | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2022 | 12 | JAX | n/a | 4 | 76 |
| 2023 | 3 | LAC | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 2023 | 11 | DEN | 3 | 4 | 47 |
| 2024 | 4 | GB | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2024 | 8 | LA | 5 | 2 | 30 |
| 2024 | 9 | IND | n/a | 5 | 58 |
| 2025 | 3 | CIN | n/a | 1 | 12 |
| 2025 | 5 | CLE | n/a | 2 | 35 |
| 2025 | 14 | WAS | n/a | 2 | 24 |
Oliver's first NFL touchdown came in Week 3 of 2022 — a 1-yard catch inside the Baltimore 1 against New England. He was a 3rd-round pick in 2019, but a foot injury wiped out 2020 and Jacksonville moved on without giving him a meaningful role.
Every single Oliver career TD has come inside the 5-yard line. Five of his 11 career touchdowns were scored from ≤5 yards out — the physical profile of a jump-ball, red-zone specialist who earns his touches in the endgame.
Why it matters. The delay from 2019 draft to 2022 first TD isn't just a journeyman story — it reflects how long it takes a blocking TE to earn trust in the passing game. Oliver only gets the ball when the Vikings are going for the end zone, which is why his TD rate looks superhuman relative to his catch volume.
As a Viking: 9 TDs in 59 catches. As the primary TE in the same offense: 8 TDs in 187 catches.
SplitMIN TEs 2023-2025 (regular season)
| Player | Tgt | Rec | TDs | TD/Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Oliver (2nd TE) | 71 | 59 | 9 | 15.3% |
| T.J. Hockenson (1st TE) | 255 | 187 | 8 | 4.3% |
| Johnny Mundt (3rd TE) | 48 | 36 | 3 | 8.3% |
The Vikings' secondary TE has scored more touchdowns than their Pro Bowl starter across three seasons, in the same offense. Oliver's TD-per-reception rate (15.3%) is 3.5× Hockenson's (4.3%) on the same team.
This isn't noise — Oliver has never been asked to run routes across the middle or stretch the seam. His targets are almost entirely in scoring position, which inflates efficiency by design.
Why it matters. The split reveals how O'Connell's offense is architected: Hockenson generates yards and moves chains, Oliver is deployed as a finisher. Understanding this role separation is why Oliver's per-game TD rate stays elevated even when his yardage totals are pedestrian.
Career: 85 catches, 11 TDs — a 12.9% TD rate that's 57% above the league average TE rate of 8.2%.
ComparisonOliver career vs league-average TE (2019-2025)
| Metric | Oliver | Avg TE |
|---|---|---|
| TD per catch | 12.9% | 8.2% |
| Career catches | 85 | — |
| Career TDs | 11 | — |
| Game-weeks active | 63 | — |
Career totals across 63 regular-season game-weeks: 85 receptions, 861 yards, 11 TDs. That's a TD on 12.9% of catches — 57% above the league-average TE rate of 8.2% from 2019-2025.
His 9.1% TD-per-target rate (11 TDs on 121 targets) is nearly double the league-average TE TD/target rate of 5.4%. The pattern is structural: Oliver is targeted almost exclusively in scoring situations, making the efficiency gap real and durable.
Why it matters. The gap between Oliver's efficiency and the league average isn't noise from a small sample — it reflects a deliberate usage pattern that has held across six active seasons and three different coordinators. He's not being used like a receiving TE, so comparing him like one understates the value.
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