Kene Nwangwu – RB (Iowa State)
This was a bit of a surprise to kick off the final day of the draft, but the Vikings sought out their new kick returner and Mike Boone replacement. With Boone out of town, Minnesota needed some extra depth at running back, and they made a splash with Iowa State’s Kene Nwangwu.
Nwangwu was one of the freakiest athletes in this year’s draft class, testing at an elite level. His size and speed combination is rare for a running back as he stands just over 6-foot and he posted a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. He did not have much production in college, but his raw athleticism gives the Vikings something to work with.
The immediate expectation should be for Nwangwu to be the primary return man with little impact on offense. He was dynamic in the return game for Iowa State, racking up 2,470 kickoff return yards over the course of his career.
Minnesota had a disastrous year on special teams last year, but Nwangwu is here to change that as much as he can. His speed and burst in the open field will bring a level of excitement that the team hasn’t seen since Cordarrelle Patterson left.
On offense, he brings some insurance in case Dalvin Cook misses time as he has the speed to fill into that role in a similar manner to Boone. Nwangwu probably won’t carry the ball much in the early stages of his career, though. He was drafted to bring speed to the special teams.