NWANGWU!
https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/05/01/kene-nwangwu-is-the-nfl-draft-sleeper-you-want
p.s. picking up for Barr as he said he might not be around much today. And I'm heading to a pool/BBQ so this will be my last post for a bit!
Bleah. What a waste of a 4th round. A slow CB getting moved to safety is the best pick of the 3.
Played behind Breece Hall and David Montgomery, the guy is clutch player, not flashy but
intense. 4.29 forty
On virtually every sleeper list you can find. Hopefully he can double as our return man.
The entire 4th round looks like high-upside sleeper picks that seemed like marginal reaches according to consensus rankings. Bynum on several sleeper lists. And too bad Barr isn't here. Robinson was his mid to late round guy. Heigh/Weight/Speed/Length phenom, he's the perfect piece of clay for Patterson.
Biggest surprise to me is that the Vikings have yet to pick a receiver.
Cook and Mattison are already a Top 10? 5? tandem , they're both 3 down RB's that can run, block and catch.
However neither ran a 10.2 100 meter dash or 4.29? -40.
Nwangwu fills a need that has been vacant since McKinnon went to SF.
The best Trio of RB's I've seen from the Vikings Organization was 2009 with AD, Taylor and Harvin was a rookie.
I believe this current trio could be that good!
Perfect one cut RB in zone blocking scheme. Perennial probowler. Future HOFer
YESSS Vikings
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) May 1, 2021
No surprise the team that drafted Jerick McKinnon, signed Mike Boone as a UDFA, goes with Nwangwu
juiced up athlete
I mentioned him (as a top 6 RB) in our podcast with @PFF_Mike and @HaydenWinks https://t.co/o5JVgwVxyI https://t.co/daNALcIylk
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.
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.
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.
@"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...
@"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.
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.
https://www.vikings.com/news/kene-nwangwu-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know
https://www.dailynorseman.com/platform/amp/2021/5/7/22416234/breaking-down-rb-kr-kene-nwangwu?utm_campaign=dailynorseman&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true
Edit Post (mod action — author will see a notice)
Warn Poster
Suspend User (3 days)
The user will be suspended for 3 days and will receive an email with the reason and information about how to appeal.