Vikings Training Camp 2021: Top 5 takeaways from Day 3
By Adam Carlson
You killed it, Kene!
Running back wasn’t a huge need for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason considering they have Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison on the roster. Still, the team made the decision to choose Kene Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Nwangwu showcased some of the skills that made him a standout at Iowa State when he made a couple of excellent plays when working with Kellen Mond. In particular, one play saw him pick up a nice gain as a receiver after Kellen Mond struggled with a snap and was blitzed.
When Nwangwu was drafted, his value to the team seemed to be largest as the kick returner but his hands, acceleration, and speed could allow him to beat Ameer Abdullah to get a share of snaps on offense as a backup and rotational player.
Making flashes like this a rookie can do wonderful things for a player’s career and give them more opportunities to prove themselves at a faster rate. If he can impress on special teams and keep making waves on offense, he could be moving up that depth chart rather quickly.