Tag: Esezi Otomewo

5 Vikings who will see more time after the bye week

These 5 players should start seeing more playing time after the bye week

The Minnesota Vikings will be using the bye week to learn more about themself as they have a new coaching staff that is still figuring out how to prepare this team for success.

One of the things that they will be looking at is giving players more playing time, specifically rookies.

In the course of the next 11 games, this week will be important in rotating players in and out to both get players more experience and also to help give starters a little bit of a rest.

We identified five players who will see more time after the bye week.

Vikings rookie report: How is the 2022 class doing so far?

Despite not seeing much of this year’s rookie class this year, there shouldn’t be any concern that they aren’t making a big impact yet

The Minnesota Vikings rookie class has been a major cause for discussion over the first few weeks. The main reason? We haven’t seen a lot of this class thus far.

What does this mean? Well, each player either playing or not playing is its own story. Context is the most important thing when discussing the rookie class, especially after only three weeks. The Vikings are 2-1 so it’s hard to fault them for the approach they have taken.

Let’s take a look at what each rookie has done thus far and why their accomplishments are what they are.

Predicting the 6 Vikings inactives for Week 2 vs Eagles

Here are our predictions for the Vikings inactives on Monday night

Last week, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t have any surprises with their inactive list. They prioritized keeping rookies on the sidelines and they only had one player miss the game due to injury.

As the Vikings approach Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, the injury report is minimal with only three players on it and only one truly questionable at this point..

Here are the six projected Vikings inactives for Monday nights game.

Lewis Cine headlines Minnesota Vikings inactives

The Vikings first-round pick leads the Vikings inactive list

Heading into the Minnesota Vikings week one matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the injury report was minimal. The one major question mark was rookie first-round safety Lewis Cine who had aggravated a previous knee injury and was seen at practice with an ice wrap.

When the official inactive list came out, Cine led the way with only five other players joining him in not playing against the Packers.

There really aren’t any major surprises on this list with four of them being rookies selected at the end of day three or undrafted. Seeing Chris Reed on the list is somewhat of a surprise but the Vikings feel comfortable with their depth outside of the former Indianapolis Colt.

The Vikings hope to have Cine back for next Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vikings Madden NFL 23 ratings for rookie draft picks

How do the Vikings’ rookies stack up on Madden NFL 23?

Madden rankings are not the be-all, end-all, but they do mean something.

The rankings are an algorithm that takes each metric and aggregates it to an overall number. The higher certain metrics are, the higher your overall rating is.

Some mean more than others. For example, throwing accuracy means a ton for a quarterback’s overall ranking but next to nothing for a tight end. Because of that, a really good player might be ranked lower than you think he should be.

The other element of these rankings are that Madden usually is a year behind players. One example is Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase who, despite a major breakout season, was ranked as an 87.

A long track record of success is the best way to receive a higher ranking. The same theory goes with rookies. Their rankings are inherently lower because they haven’t played a snap in the league. Each of the 10 Vikings draft picks now have their first ever Madden Ranking.

Here’s how they ranked amongst each other.

POLL: Which rookie will make biggest impact for Vikings in 2022?

Who will make the biggest impact right out of the gates?

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The Minnesota Vikings approached the 2022 NFL draft with the thought of winning right away.

They already signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a one-year extension, restructured a few contracts and brought in key veteran additions to the roster. The Vikings are basically a new coat of paint on the same car because they’re convinced they already have the foundation in place to compete for a Super Bowl.

Part of that belief stems from the hope that their incoming rookies are capable of stepping up and contributing right away. It’s everyone from first-round draft pick Lewis Cine to lauded undrafted rookie free agent Luiji Vilain.

First-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finessed his way up and down the draft board to maximize the number of bites at the apple the Vikings had this season. In total, their actual draft class consists of 10 players, and they also agreed to deals with at least nine undrafted players in the immediate aftermath.

Which rookie will make the biggest impact for the Vikings in 2022?

We’ve listed the entire draft class and Vilain as the options above. But if there’s another undrafted rookie you think belongs here—like Gabe Brkic or Ryan Wright—let us know in the comments section here or on our Facebook and Twitter page.

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Vikings officially announce signings of five rookie contracts

The Vikings make five rookie contracts official.

Heading into the two-day rookie minicamp, the Minnesota Vikings have officially announced the signings of five rookie contracts.

So that officially makes half of the Vikings 2022 NFL draft class now under contract with the team.

The names on the list includes safety Lewis Cine, receiver Jalen Nailor, tight end Nick Muse, defensive end Esezi Otomewo and running back Ty Chandler.

According to the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, offensive guard Ed Ingram and linebacker Brian Asamoah are not expected to agree to terms before minicamp, which means the two players will be participating under the injury protection agreement.

Cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., the second-round pick out of Clemson, is still waiting to get his contract done as well.

Meanwhile, rookie offensive tackle Vederian Lowe was reported to have agreed to terms on a deal on Thursday.

We’ll see how the other contracts shake out over the weekend as the rookies kick-start minicamp at the Performance Center on Friday.

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Here’s a look at the full Vikings 2022 NFL draft class

The Vikings’ 2022 draft class is set

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft as Vikings general manager is being treated with mixed reviews.

Many are happy with the way he worked the board and addressed specific needs for the team. But some were turned off by the in-division trades and decision to pass on some of the marquee players in the draft.

Sure, there were some questionable trades in the beginning, but Adofo-Mensah did a great job of making up for those deals with solid draft selections.

He addressed the shoddy defensive backfield with multiple players, increased the offensive line depth, boosted the defensive front and added a few skilled position players. From that perspective alone, it’s safe to say it was a productive debut for a first-time GM.

Here is the Vikings 2022 draft class.

Vikings scout sees flashes of Esezi Otomewo being special

There is more than meets the eye with Esezi Otomewo.

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On the surface, the Minnesota Vikings using the No. 165 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft on Esezi Otomewo could be seen as merely a depth move, but there’s at least one scout within the organization that sees a potential difference-maker in the Minnesota prospect.

His college numbers don’t necessarily pop as impressive, but if you look beyond the statistics—if you look at the actual player himself—you might come away feeling a bit different about his potential role on the team.

According to the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, at least one Vikings scout sees the potential for Otomewo to be special.

“The beauty of it is we’ve seen the flashes on tape,” said Vikings assistant director of college scouting Pat Roberts. “… Our coaches think they’re going to help him grow.”

Otomewo finished his college career with 30 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss.

He won’t have to worry about double teams with Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith in the lineup. There will always be an opportunity to make plays with two proven game-wreckers on the field.

Time will tell if Otomewo is a player capable of making those plays.

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2022 NFL draft: Vikings select DL Esezi Otomewo at No. 165

The Vikings are adding another enforcer to the defensive front.

The 2022 NFL draft board is beginning to look like a broken record for a Minnesota Vikings team determined to turn things around on the defensive side of the ball.

After trading up and taking cornerback Akayleb Evans earlier on day three, the Vikings used the No. 165 pick on Minnesota Golden Gopher defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo.

Four seasons in the Minnesota football program, Otomewo mustered 30 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss.

The Vikings have now addressed every level of the defense in the draft by adding three defensive backs, one linebacker and now, a defensive lineman to fight in the trenches.

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