4 Vikings who are locks to make the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 4 who aren’t
By Randy Smith
Lock: Kene Nwangwu – RB
Kene Nwangwu‘s burst on the Minnesota Vikings squad has been in a unique light. The 2021 fourth-rounder isn’t the heir apparent to Dalvin Cook at the running back position, nor is he challenging Alexander Mattison for the backup spot.
Nwangwu’s bread and butter has been none other than special teams as a returner. Last season, Nwangwu had 579 return yards with an average of 32.2 yards per return and two touchdowns.
This year, he has 620 return yards, and a 97-yard return touchdown and is the top-voted return specialist for the NFC for this year’s Pro Bowl.
Again, Nwangwu’s play as a pure running back won’t get him in the Pro Bowl alone, as he’s only rushed for a single yard in his second season. But his return specialist play is something the Vikings haven’t seen since the days of Cordarrelle Patterson.
Patterson made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist when he was in Minnesota, and Nwangwu could elect to be the next man to do such.
But outside of special teams, offense and defense, there’s a chance that the most important position in football may not be a Viking in the Pro Bowl this year.