Report: The Entire 2023 Vikings Draft Class Has Officially Been Signed
In the weeks following the 2023 NFL Draft, we saw the Minnesota Vikings sign a number of their draft prospects to rookie contracts, including first-rounder Jordan Addison. Heading into Tuesday, five of the 2023 Vikings draft selections had been signed to contracts. The only one remaining? Seventh-rounder DeWayne McBride.
Well, according to a report by Darren Wolfson of KTSP on Tuesday afternoon, the wait for the final Vikings rookie to sign a deal may be over. Wolfson tweeted, “Mere formality in many ways, but told RB DeWayne McBride’s contract is done. Means Vikings have their entire draft class signed.”
McBride was selected with the 222nd pick in this spring’s draft after a three-year collegiate career with UAB where he was one of the most productive running backs in all of college football. He totaled over 3000 rushing yards and 32 rushing TDs over the past two seasons, and over his career, he averaged a ridiculous 7.3 yards per carry.
McBride joined a Vikings backfield that remains very uncertain regarding the status of starter Dalvin Cook, so the rookie should serve as a security blanket in case Cook is moved elsewhere, or any of Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu, or Ty Chandler were to suffer an injury, forcing them to miss time.
Now that the Vikings backfield officially contains five players, it will be interesting to see how things shake out over the course of the summer. Last year, Minnesota carried four RBs (Cook, Mattison, Nwangwu, Chandler) and FB C.J. Ham on their 53-man roster.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.