The Vikings drafted a tight end in case Rhett Ellison can’t make it all the way back from a serious knee injury. So how does Ellison feel about that?

“The more the merrier,” he said.

Ellison doesn’t seem concerned about the fifth-round selection of David Morgan in April or about any talk whether he will make a full recovery from a torn patellar tendon suffered in last January’s season finale at Green Bay. He anticipates being 100 percent when players report July 28 for training camp.

“That’s definitely my goal right now,” Ellison said. “I’m on the right track. As long as there are no setbacks in rehab, I should be all good.”

Because of his injury, Ellison re-signed with the Vikings last March on a one-year, $1.85 million deal that has only $100,000 guaranteed. It was a rocky negotiation, with Ellison’s father, former NFL linebacker Riki Ellison, at one point posting on Facebook that his son would not return.

Riki Ellison soon deleted the post, and told the Pioneer Press he was “overstepping my bounds as a father.” His son shrugged off the incident.

“That was one of those things,” Ellison said. “I don’t go on social media, so I don’t know what was going on.”

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Pioneer Press predictions: Then or now, Colts seem to have Vikings’ number Ellison, who is sitting out spring drills, has been the second-string tight end behind Kyle Rudolph and is regarded as a top blocker. His injury forced him to miss Minnesota’s 10-9 loss to Seattle in a wild-card playoff game, and led to months of grueling rehabilitation.

“It’s been probably one of the hardest things that I’ve had to do up to this point,” Ellison said. “But I’ve just got to look at it as another opportunity to get better and push myself to get better. So I’ve just got to look at it as a blessing in disguise type of thing.”

CLEMMINGS TO LEFT SIDE

Despite starting all 16 games last year at right tackle, T.J. Clemmings isn’t even a candidate now for that job.

Clemmings stepped in as a rookie when Phil Loadholt was lost for all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon. With Loadholt back and the Vikings having signed free-agent right tackle Andre Smith, Clemmings was moved to left tackle.

Clemmings doesn’t seem to have much of a chance to beat out Matt Kalil to start. However, he is being groomed for the future, particularly considering Kalil, Loadholt and Smith are all in line to be free agents after the season.

“I’m just trying to become better, that’s the plan,” Clemmings said. “I’m always prepared in my mind to be ready to move at anytime” to any spot on the line.

Clemmings said he’s not bothered about not getting another chance to start at right tackle. He considered it a valuable experience playing so much as a rookie.

“It was a decent first year, but there are definitely some things I can improve,’’ Clemmings said.

Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner said “T.J. has been doing good” at his new position while being “challenged every day by our defensive front.”

Clemmings, a right tackle at Pittsburgh, never has played in a game on the left side with the exception of 1 1/2 quarters in the Senior Bowl in January 2015. He said it’s simply a matter of getting comfortable.

“Everything is reversed,” Clemmings said. “Adjusting (at first) is kind of tough, but I have a good amount of weeks to get the feel for it.”

The quest will continue Monday, when the Vikings return for four straight days of practices to conclude organized team activities.

WAS ALI A VIKINGS FAN?

Muhammad Ali seemingly once had a soft spot for the Vikings.

Former Minnesota star defensive end Carl Eller spoke Sunday, two days after the death of the legendary boxer, about being at a pool party in the early 1970s in Hollywood attended by Ali. Eller, who had been appearing in movies, had befriended actor Jack Lemmon, and he was invited to the event at the home of Lemmon’s neighbor.

“It was around that time we were at the top (of the NFC), so Ali was a fan,’’ Eller said. “He knew about me and others on the Vikings. He was very familiar with us.’’

Also at the party was former Minnesota quarterback Joe Kapp, who also then was appearing in movies.

“What I remember is Ali started throwing (mock) punches at Joe,’’ Eller said. “He was jabbing with him.’’

It wasn’t Eller’s first experience involving Ali. Earlier in the decade, he attended his epic March 8, 1971 fight against Joe Frazier at New York’s Madison Square Garden, an event attended by Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen and many other celebrities.

“I wasn’t ringside, but I had great seats,’’ Eller said. “It was a world event. Anybody who was anybody was there. It was certainly a highlight being at one of the athletic events of the century.’’

TREADWELL’S DROPS

After a recent practice during organized team activities, Vikings rookie wide receiver Laquon Treadwell spent about a half-hour catching balls from a Juggs machine. That sort of work ethic has gotten the attention of cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

It’s taking time for Treadwell, selected with the No. 23 pick in the April draft, to adjust to the NFL. He’s had his share of dropped passes, but he’s trying to overcome that.

“We just need him to catch them when it counts the most, but you got to work on it,” Munnerlyn said. “If he dropped those passes, he went to the Juggs after practice. He stayed a long time catching balls and working on his hands and everything. He’s young and he’s got a lot to learn, but I like the kid because he’s willing to work and he wants to work.”

Treadwell doesn’t turn 21 until June 14. He’s content to be patient after leaving for the NFL following three years at Mississippi.

“I still have a lot of things to get better at,” Treadwell said. “It’s a work in progress.”