Former Vikings Defender is Now Roaring in Detroit
For a time, linebacker Abraham Beauplan was looking like an upside UDFA in Minnesota.
The former Vikings defender is a tremendously gifted athlete. He’s now picking up work as a Lion. The team itself announced the news alongside a corresponding move: “#Lions announce roster moves: Signed WR Allen Robinson to the Active Roster[;] Signed LB Abraham Beauplan to the Practice Squad.”
Former Vikings Defender Now a Lion
Currently, the Vikings are being led by Blake Cashman.
The Eden Prairie linebacker has been playing wonderfully since coming back to Minnesota. He’s wearing the green dot on his helmet and is offering some pretty tidy play. Alongside Cashman is LB2 Ivan Pace Jr. (who has been injured recently), LB3 Kamu Grugier-Hill (who has a pair interceptions in two games), and LB4 Brian Asamoah (a bit forgotten so far).
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are sitting at 3-1, largely due to a combination of strong offense and defense. Ben Johnson’s side of the ball (the offense) is sitting at 6th in the NFL by averaging 26 points per game while Aaron Glenn’s side of the ball (the defense) is sitting at 10th by allowing an average of 20.5 points against per game.
Notably, Aidan Hutchinson is leading the NFL in sacks with 6.5, a gaudy number given that only four games have been played.
At linebacker, the Lions have some noteworthy talent. Malcolm Rodriguez seems to be well thought of and Alex Anzalone has been playing quite a bit, as well. Plus, Jack Campbell — the No. 18 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — is sitting on four starts across his four games. So, there’s some depth in Detroit, meaning Beauplan may need an injury or two to get onto the active roster.
Or, perhaps, Beauplan could prove to be an absolute menace on special teams. If so, he could force his way onto the game day roster.
Bruce Feldman publishes a popular piece where he lists out some “freaks,” the insanely-gifted athletes in college football. Take a look at what he had to say about Beauplan:
The 6-2 235-pounder from Florida showed off his speed when he ran the 40 in the high 4.5s and made 133 tackles at Navarro JC in Texas. Beauplan had little trouble transitioning to FBS football, leading the Herd in tackles with 110 and 11 TFLs. This offseason, he vertical-jumped 37 inches, squatted 565 and benched 385. His strength and athleticism really translated onto the field.
The strength and speed that’s described in the Feldman quote helps to illuminate a lot of the intrigue with Abraham Beauplan. Quite possibly, some more time working on his craft will lead to a more permanent NFL home.
Minnesota is leading the NFC North — and the NFL more broadly — with a 4-0 record. In second place is the Detroit Lions, a team that went all the way to the NFC Championship last season. Dan Campbell has done a tremendous job of turning that team around and deserves all of the praise he has gotten (I was among those who were skeptical, to say the least).
Minnesota and Detroit square off in Week 7 in a game that takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium. A Vikings victory would mean being 2-0 in divisional play.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.
