Young Viking Is Stealing the Show in Vikings Camp
The Minnesota Vikings found linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. in the 2023 draft class. The undrafted rookie quickly claimed a starting job and hasn’t had anyone come close to usurping him. He’s undoubtedly Minnesota’s top UDFA in the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era. The second place is debatable, but cornerback Dwight McGlothern has been making his case ever since setting foot into the building.
Young Viking Is Stealing the Show in Vikings Camp
McGlothern got some buzz immediately after signing his contract with the Vikings. Then, he showed some promise in OTAs and in last year’s training camp. After dominating in the preseason, the Vikings had no other choice but to give him a spot on the 53-man roster.
In his rookie season, McGlothern didn’t get many opportunities, but when he got some, he looked solid. This year, the cycle just keeps repeating, with him making plays in camp.
On Wednesday, McGlothern secured an interception in practice. That by itself is noteworthy, but the sweet wrinkle makes it even better: The sophomore snatched one pick in each of the last three practices. He’s on a three-day INT streak.
SI.com’s Will Ragatz noted: “Dwight McGlothern. Three straight days with a pick. My goodness. You can’t keep this guy off the 53.”
Sure, there was a world in which McGlothern dropped out of the 53-man roster, but he is clearly good enough to stick around. The better question might be what he has to do to get a chance to earn real reps in the regular season.
After practice, McGlothern said: “I have to just keep making plays and just having the coaches believe in me. I’m just trying to touch the field this season.”
In his debut year, McGlothern appeared in five games and logged 19 defensive snaps and 17 on special teams. He was stuck on the depth chart behind the starters Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, and Shaq Griffin, as well as backup Fabian Moreau.
After his latest pick, he trash-talked Justin Jefferson, who was standing on the sidelines due to his hamstring strain. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert summed it up: “And defenders are letting the offense know. CB Dwight McGlothern ran all the way across the field to hand the ball to Justin Jefferson, who was watching from the sideline, after an interception.”
Cornerbacks have to possess some level of cockiness. He explained: “We’re just talking trash. I like the trash talk. I wish he was out there. He pushed me, he’s a great receiver.”
In his 38 games in college, McGlothern accumulated 113 tackles and eight interceptions. The intriguing wrinkle is that seven of those came in the two campaigns at Arkansas (where he spent the last two seasons of his career, showing his playmaking ability).
Early on in Minnesota’s training camp, McGlothern created some buzz, and Skol Nation saw the man in action in the preseason. In those three exhibition matches, he was excellent.
Last August, head coach Kevin O’Connell praised the 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.”
He made the team, and 11 months later, he is pushing the guys ahead of him. At this point, the one returning starter is Pro Bowler Byron Murphy Jr., who’s slated to be paired with Isaiah Rodgers in two-cornerback sets, and Jeff Okudah is the third in nickel. Mekhi Blackmon and undrafted rookie Zemaiah Vaughn are the next men up, other than McGlothern.
McGlothern will likely get some run in the preseason, and if he does well again, it’s hard to argue against him seeing the field. Every time he’s given a chance to shine, he’s doing just that.
The young Viking is 23 years old, and what else does he have to do to earn the trust of his coaching staff?
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.