4 Former Vikings Have Earned Another Shot in the NFL
Skol Nation has seen countless players come and go over the years. The NFL is a cruel league, and some players never get the chances they actually deserve. Others do, but injuries derail their careers.
4 Former Vikings Have Earned Another Shot in the NFL
For players who want to redeem themselves and show they can stand out among their peers, the UFL is a good start. Many Vikings players competed in the spring league, and some proved they should be in the big league.
1. Cam Dantzler
A 2020 third-rounder out of Mississippi State, Cameron Dantzler quickly earned a starting job in Mike Zimmer’s overhauled secondary, and he played quite well in his rookie season. In 2021, he seemingly lost Zimmer’s trust and never earned that of the 2022 defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell.
The Vikings axed him in the 2023 offseason after 35 games (26 starts) for the club. He has bounced around since with stints in Washington, Buffalo, Houston, New Orleans, and a couple of different UFL franchises and one in the CFL.
Dantzler is still only 26 years old, and his PFF grade of 75.6 ranked him 5th among UFL corners with at least 200 defensive snaps. The Memphis Showboats defender should get a camp invite from someone.
2. Andre Mintze
Andre Mintze doesn’t have a shiny resume like Dantzer, with a ton of NFL experience and the draft pedigree. He went undrafted in 2021, and the Broncos hired him. Mintze made the 53-man roster and appeared in six games until an injury forced him to sit out half the season.
Denver said “goodbye” in the following offseason, and he was with the Vikings for about two months from June to August in 2022. Mintze has been with the DC Defenders since 2023 and won a championship this year.
He recorded 5.5 sacks this season, ranking him tied-third in the league and third in QB pressures with 38. Mintze is also in the top 10 in QB hits, QB hurries, pass-rush win percentage, and pass-rush productivity. Just like Dantzler, Mintze is 26 years old.
3. Jordan Ta’amu
Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu exploded in the UFL like few others. While he was snubbed from MVP honors despite leading the league in passing touchdowns and would’ve led the UFL in yards had he not sat out the meaningless final game of the regular season, he clinched the UFL Championship trophy by throwing five touchdowns.
The 2019 undrafted passer initially signed with the Texans but has been a journeyman ever since, starring in numerous spring leagues. His resume includes stints with the St. Louis BattleHawks, the Tampa Bay Bandits, and the DC Defenders.
The Vikings signed him for a couple of weeks in 2023 as a backup for Jaren Hall in the final preseason game. He didn’t get any playing time, but the developmental league star should get some in this year’s preseason.
4. Kenny Willekes
Kenny Willekes was part of Dantzler’s 2020 draft class. He went in the seventh round out of Michigan State. After missing his rookie season with an injury, he appeared in six games in 2021. When he was supposed to have a breakout year in 2022, he suffered another season-ending injury.
Injuries keep derailing the man’s career, and they also cost him some games in the UFL. He secured 3.5 sacks in nine UFL games, but he missed the postseason, in which his Michigan Panthers lost against Mintze’s and Ta’amu’s Defenders in the title game.
Willekes led the league in QB hits with 14; nobody else had more than ten. His 86.0 PFF grade ranked him fourth among all UFL defenders with at least 200 snaps.
Editor’s Note: Information from the UFL, PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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