NWANGWU!

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https://twitter.com/JoshNorris/status/13...03714?s=20

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Kene Nwangwu, running back, fourth round, No. 119 overall Chad’s grade: B-minus
Look, I get why a lot of people felt this was a reach and think this grade should be worse. The fourth round is typically way too early to draft a third-string player known for his special teams. But I also get why the Vikings did it. A year ago, they wanted a returner, but a run on players with that ability occurred just before the Vikings could pick, and they were left with KJ Osborn, whose numbers ranked among the worst in the NFL a year ago. That’s part of why the Vikings’ special teams were so bad. This year, they went out and got Nwangwu, a return specialist with blazing speed, before another run on returners kept the Vikings from getting their guy.
Arif’s grade: C-plus
I have to admit I have to separate my anticipation for seeing him with the ball in his hands from his value. We should give the Vikings some leeway — not just because of the returner conundrum they faced last year, but the lack of incredible athletes at running back this year. But there’s a reason analysts placed him 293rd overall: He was never the primary ball carrier and has fewer career touches than many running backs in this draft have had in half a season. Seven receptions is also not a wonderful total for a scatback/third-down option, and his injury history and vision problems don’t exactly bode well. Still, he could be pretty fun to watch.

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Chad Graff

@ChadGraff

·May 1

New Vikings player Kene Nwangwu ranks third all-time in Big 12 kick return yards. And one other thing to note considering who he'll compete with for that job: Nwangwu fumbled only once on 242 touches.

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4. Kene Nwangwu, RB, Iowa State (6-foot-0, 210, 4.32): “The definition of a sleeper,” one scout said. “Wasn’t on any lists. Didn’t play much. He was behind David Montgomery. He tore his Achilles in 2017, then came back and was behind the kid (Breece Hall) they got now. But I’d be shocked if he goes undrafted after what he ran.”
Besides his sizzling 40 (4.32), he had a 38-inch vertical jump.
“He’s a unique prospect, and probably a late-round pick as a kickoff returner,” one special-teams coach said. “He’s so fast. For a 210-pound kid, I think he has the skill set to be a punt returner as well. He said he’s never done it. That doesn’t mean he can’t.”
The Frisco, Texas, native averaged 26.8 yards on 92 kickoff returns, including a career-best 28.9 yards in 2020.
“He’s not that shifty kind of guy, but he sets it up and has a degree of elusiveness,” one scout said. “He can make guys miss. He runs hard. He’s what you’d draw up to be your No. 3 (running back).”
Rushed 143 times for 744 yards (5.2 yards per carry) but had just seven receptions.

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This is one of those picks where I scratch my head a bit....  spend a mid-4th round pick on an athletic special teams guy?

The Vikings have always valued special teams in their Day 3 picks more than most teams.  He has a path to contributing immediately as a returner, just seems like a guy we could have drafted a bit later despite his 4.3 speed.

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@Wetlander said:
This is one of those picks where I scratch my head a bit....  spend a mid-4th round pick on an athletic special teams guy?

The Vikings have always valued special teams in their Day 3 picks more than most teams.  He has a path to contributing immediately as a returner, just seems like a guy we could have drafted a bit later despite his 4.3 speed.

That's my thought as well. The only other hook is we've got Mattison's replacement in hand. But, yeah, this seems like a bit of a...

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@Wetlander said:
This is one of those picks where I scratch my head a bit....  spend a mid-4th round pick on an athletic special teams guy?

The Vikings have always valued special teams in their Day 3 picks more than most teams.  He has a path to contributing immediately as a returner, just seems like a guy we could have drafted a bit later despite his 4.3 speed.

Yeah, that was my thought as well. Vikings had a stretch in rounds 4 and 5 where they took several boom or bust players: Nwang, Bynum, Robinson, Marsette and Davidson. 

Nwang, Bynum and Davidson were especially big reaches (at least according to consensus ranking). Could be that Rick, knowing he didn't have any 7th rounders this year to jump the UDFA market, grabbed the guys he wanted a round or two earlier than he had to. 

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For prognostications these picks seemed early, however, other teams may have been considering them in the next couple picks. To me other than the trade falling in their laps, the rest of the draft after the 3rd round seemed a bit forced and rather than letting the draft fall to them, it was rehearsed and planned.  If 2 picks pan out from day 3 it will have been a successful day.  

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https://www.vikings.com/news/kene-nwangw...gs-to-know