Midseason report for the Minnesota Vikings 2021 rookie class
By Nik Edlund
Kene Nwangwu – RB
- 2 games played
- 1 rush, 9 yards
- 2 kick returns – 121 yards, 1 TD
Kene Nwangwu was a player many Vikings fans were eager to get a look at. He was turning heads at training camp with his blazing speed and was looked at as a potentially dangerous return man and explosive part-time weapon on the offense. Unfortunately, he was injured in the first preseason game and no one got a look at him until after the bye in the game against the Cowboys.
Nwangwu showed off his speed in the game against the Ravens. He took a kick off 100 yards to the house reaching a top gear many humans just don’t possess. Nwangwu also showed that speed off on a fake punt using it to gain the edge and pick up the first down. The Vikings are just beginning to scratch the surface of what Nwangwu brings to the table and he’ll be one of the more exciting factors of the final 9 games.
Camryn Bynum – S
- 8 games played, 1 start
- 17 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD
Cam Bynum has been quiet for the better part of the season but he’s starting to make noise. The converted safety was mostly used on special teams with a few snaps on defense. Against Baltimore, he got the start in place of Harrison Smith who was out with COVID-19 and he made the most of it.
Bynum proved the spot wasn’t too big for him and was solid all game long. His coverage was tight, he supported the run well and even intercepted a Lamar Jackson pass. The most impressive thing about his performance was that Mike Zimmer stated that he hadn’t even practiced that position before. It will be very interesting to see how Bynum plays the rest of the way because if he has a few more solid showings, he could be a starter in 2022.
Janarius Robinson – DE
Not much to say about Robinson as he’s been placed on injured reserve and not expected to be on the field this season. It’s a shame because the Vikings’ defensive end depth is beginning to get quite thin.