The Jets may have a depleted wide receiver corps entering Sunday's game against the Vikings, but they're far from short on pass catchers.

After all, this is a team that carries four tight ends - all of whom play regularly, when healthy.

Take last week's win over the Colts for example. Neal Sterling got the start, but all four tight ends - including Chris Herndon, Jordan Leggett and Eric Tomlinson - played between 31 and 51 percent of the snaps.

Frankly, that's not a normal practice around the NFL.

Sometimes, the Jets go without a tight end. Sometimes they use three. Sometimes they're kept in-line. Sometimes they're split out.

It's a unique group with varying skillsets that offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates believes gives his offense a distinct advantage.

"The best thing about them is they can play fullback, they can play wide receiver and they can play tight end, so they are flexible," Bates said. "It allows us to put a little pressure on the defense, because they don't know what personnel group we are actually in. All four of them work together, they encourage each other, they challenge each other, they push each other and they are continuing to get better also."

That group could end up being the key to solving the wide receiver issue this week, too.

While Tomlinson is capable of making some catches, he's mainly a blocking-heavy tight end - he's the fullback that Bates mentioned.

But there's no reason the other three can't help fill the void left by Quincy Enunwa (ankle) and, in all likelihood, Terrelle Pryor (groin).

"I think we're ready for whatever opportunity presents itself," Sterling said. "We train as tight ends, but we have to know what the receivers do at all times, we have to know what the running backs do at all times, we have to know what the O-line is doing at all times. I think from training like that, it's not that difficult of a task to just hop in at a receiver position, if needed."

Both Herndon and Leggett have already tallied touchdowns this season and Sterling entered the NFL as a wide receiver before converting to tight end in 2016.

So far, that trio has combined for 16 catches and 166 yards in 14 total games played - Sterling missed three with a concussion and Leggett sat one out, too.

"I'd be real comfortable," Sterling said. "Every day I'm running routes like a receiver. I basically do a lot of the things that the receivers do already at the tight end position. So I think if the need me to flex out wide and run some routes out there, it doesn't matter what position, I think I'd be ready for that."

Matt Stypulkoski may be reached at mstypulkoski@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @M_Stypulkoski. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.