Former Minnesota Vikings draft pick still chasing his NFL dreams

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Wide receiver Moritz Böhringer was never able to live up to his hype after the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Back in 2016, the Minnesota Vikings took a chance on an unknown wide receiver out of Germany by the name of Moritz Böhringer. Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds and possessing some impressive speed (4.43 time in the 40-yard dash), Böhringer was touted by some as “The German Randy Moss”.

However, the Vikings quickly learned that the young receiver had a long, long way to go before he could even be compared to former Minnesota pass-catcher Troy Williamson.

Böhringer’s very first practice with Minnesota in 2016 resulted in him puking on the sidelines. He eventually was signed to the Vikings’ practice squad a few months later and that is where he remained during his first year in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings /

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings’ did give him another shot during their training camp in 2017. But Böhringer’s lack of experience on an American football field was still glaring and Minnesota decided to release him before the start of the 2017 season.

Since then Böhringer has been brought in for workouts with the Detroit Lions and the Cincinnati Bengals, but the receiver was not able to land a spot with either team.

That was until Tuesday when it was announced that Böhringer is joining the Bengals’ 2018 roster as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Thanks to the league program, the young receiver is guaranteed to stick around through the entirety Cincinnati’s training camp this summer.

This program also allows the Bengals to keep Böhringer on their practice squad for next season due to an international player exemption. Cincinnati also has him listed as a tight end, which is something that could prove to be a good move for the young prospect.

Next: Ranking the Vikings' 2018 draft picks

Böhringer’s days of becoming the next Randy Moss are no longer on the table. Right now though, the German pass-catcher is just focused on fulfilling his dream of making an NFL roster.