An Undrafted Viking Teased His Skills on Monday
The Minnesota Vikings swept the Chicago Bears on Monday, beating them convincingly this time by 18 points, scoring the club’s first back-to-back three-score win by at least three scores since 2019. Because the score was lopsided, the coaching staff subbed the starters and could give the backups some run.
An Undrafted Viking Teased His Skills on Monday
After the blocked punt in the fourth quarter, defensive coordinator Brian Flores relied on his reserves to stop Chicago’s starting offense. They came close and passed the eye test, but Caleb Williams converted a fourth and ten for a touchdown.
The group defended the previous attempts pretty well, and in a normal game situation, the Bears would’ve come away with three instead of six points. One guy was tested twice by Williams: cornerback Dwight McGlothern.
The undrafted rookie starred in the preseason, earning himself a roster spot. On Monday, he played ten defensive snaps after making his NFL debut against the Falcons in Week 14, benefitting from Stephon Gilmore’s absence.
It’s a tiny sample size, so they should be taken with a grain of salt, but McGlothern’s PFF grade in his 16 career snaps is 81.2, only trailing Jalen Redmond in the 2024 season among Vikings defenders. He was targeted twice in 12 coverage plays but has yet to allow a completion.
After his game against the Falcons, the rookie said to KSTP’s Chris Long: “It was absolutely my dream to be out there. I didn’t think it would come that fast, but it did and it was a blessing.”
McGlothern also noted that he is patiently working on his craft.
“We just have to keep on winning, the time is going to come whenever it does. As long as we’re winning, that’s all that matters. I’m getting reps at practice, and I’m getting better from that so whenever the game and my chance come, I’ll be ready.”
McGlothern’s draft tumble ended with him looking for a team to sign him as an undrafted rookie. He joined the Vikings and immediately caught the eyes of the fans as a potential contributor. And he showed his talent in training camp and the preseason, ultimately earning a spot on the 53-man roster over some players with a higher pedigree like Andrew Booth.
In August, head coach Kevin O’Connell praised the (now) 22-year-old: “He’s shown up, it’s a great point, he’s shown up all camp. Not only just the cover skills that we knew he had but his fit in the defense. He’s definitely put himself right in the conversation to have a chance to make our football team.”
Whenever he has been on the field, he has delivered, whether that was in the preseason or in his few reps in the regular season.
He could be an underrated asset in the future. The four guys ahead of him on the depth chart ‒ Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau ‒ are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the season. Akayleb Evans was waived last month, leaving 2023 draftee Mekhi Blackmon, special teamer NaJee Thompson, and McGlothern as the only CBs under contract in 2025.
As seemingly every year, the cornerback spot will be one to watch for the Vikings, but the rookie might have a chance to clinch a role in the rotation. So far, he has not shown that he couldn’t handle it.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt