Kene Nwangwu – Page 7 – Syndication Server

Why former Vikings LB Ben Leber thinks Kene Nwangwu and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are similar

Here is what former Vikings LB Ben Leber thinks of the two rookies.

Minnesota has done a great job of drafting running backs and wideouts recently.

The Vikings have taken running backs Jerick McKinnon, Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, all of whom have panned out into at least decent players.

Sure, Minnesota whiffed on Laquon Treadwell, but the team also has nabbed stellar wideouts Stefon Diggs and Justin Jefferson.

This year, the Vikings took another running back and another wide receiver. Minnesota landed RB Kene Nwangwu in the fourth round and followed that up with WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the fifth.

Ben Leber, a former Vikings linebacker and NFL current analyst, thinks the two rookies have quite a bit in common:

“They both come from college cultures that they were never the true focal point. And I think you’re finding guys that are OK with the grind and are OK playing the role,” Leber said, per Vikings.com. “I don’t think that you’re going to see [Nwangwu] try to come in and be shocked by the fact that, ‘Hey, Dalvin’s the guy.'”

Nwangwu is thought of to be more of a special teams player. He was a stellar kick returner for Iowa State in college. But maybe he can be more than that.

Smith-Marsette enters a very different position group. Due to the workload of Cook and Mattison, the third running back might not have a massive role in the offense. The third wide receiver, however, will be on the field quite a bit.

Besides Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, the Vikings don’t have positional strength at wideout, leaving a big role up for grabs. So Smith-Marsette and Nwangwu might be similar in that they’re OK with the grind, but Nwangwu might have to put in more of an effort to see the field a ton.

Early prediction for how the Vikings line up on special teams

The Minnesota Vikings need to improve on special teams next season. Here is how the team could line up:

Minnesota struggled on special teams in a lot of different ways this past season.

The Vikings had punts blocked. They didn’t have a great net average on punts, either. The team had bad snaps on field goals and costly misses from its kicker. Minnesota even had muffed punts and fumbles on returns. The team also couldn’t get anything going on punt returns in terms of average yardage.

All that is to say that there is room to improve on special teams for 2021. The Vikings brought in some enticing special teams players this offseason, at least some of whom will likely hold down key roles for next season.

Here is an early prediction for how the team could line up on special teams:

Vikings sign 4th-round pick RB Kene Nwangwu

The former Iowa State running back is ready to compete for the team’s third running back spot and as a kick returner.

Running back Kene Nwangwu is ready to start his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings.

The former Iowa State running back signed his rookie contract with the Vikings, which will pay him $4.23 million over four years, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

That includes a $752,800 signing bonus and will count $848,200 against the 2021 salary cap.

Nwangwu is expected to compete as the team’s kick returner and as the team’s third running back behind Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison.

In his four-year career at Iowa State, Nwangwu returned 92 kicks for 2,470 yards and one touchdown.

In 2020 as a running back, Nwangwu ran 61 times for 339 yards and four touchdowns.

The position groups the Vikings improved the most through the draft

The Minnesota Vikings did a good job of adding talent through the 2021 NFL draft. Here are the most-improved position groups.

The Vikings’ 11-player 2021 draft class is filled with talent up and down.

From first-rounder Christian Darrisaw to sixth-round pick Jaylen Twyman, the Vikings had a pretty good NFL draft. Minnesota had to add starters to open positions, in order to have a bounce-back season and earn a playoff berth.

That could very well be possible now. Here are some position groups the Vikings improved the most through the draft:

Vikings select Iowa State RB Kene Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft

The Minnesota Vikings have added a prospect who could be useful on offense and special teams: Iowa State RB Kene Nwangwu.

Minnesota has been deep at running back these past few seasons.

Dalvin Cook is one of the top running backs in the NFL. Alexander Mattison is a very capable backup. With Mike Boone’s departure, the Vikings could use more depth behind those two.

Iowa State RB Kene Nwangwu could be that depth. Minnesota nabbed Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft on Saturday. He had 339 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his final collegiate season with the Cyclones.

He can compete with Ameer Abdullah for running back reps behind Cook and Mattison. Not only that, but Nwangwu has experience as a kick returner. He could be a kick returner or punt returner for the Vikings in 2021.

8 potential Day 3 offensive prospects for Cardinals

Day 3 is not the most looked forward to part of the draft, but it is important to team building.

Day 3 is not the most exciting part of the NFL draft, but it is important to teams, as there are many diamonds in the rough to find, along with potential starters and key backups.

Last year, the Arizona Cardinals drafted defensive linemen Rahsard Lawrence and Leki Fotu, linebacker Evan Weaver and running back Eno Benjamin

Who might be on their radar this week on Saturday for rounds 4-7?

Below are eight offensive players to know for the Cardinals who would fit well in their offense.

Colts held Zoom meeting with Iowa State RB Kene Nwangwu

Colts keeping an eye on the explosive RB.

The backfield for the Indianapolis Colts is the furthest position from a need for the team in the 2021 NFL draft, but the front office is always looking for explosive players to add to the offense.

Though Jonathan Taylor is set to reprise his role as a starter after leading all rookies in rushing yards in 2020, the Colts have met with former Iowa State running back Kene Nwangwu via Zoom ahead of the draft, per Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

“It’s been a very informative process. I’ve enjoyed hearing where professional coaches think I fit in at the next level. We’re talking about scheme fits. We’re talking about special teams. The process is going well for me,” Nwangwu said in an interview with Melo. “I’ve been on Zoom with the Jets, Giants, Browns, Cardinals, Colts, and the Patriots. I’m enjoying the process. I’m learning what they’re teaching me. By the end of our meetings, I’m using the terminology of their scheme and showing them what I learned and retained.”

The Colts have Taylor under contract for the next few seasons while Nyheim Hines should be expected to receive a contract extension before the 2021 season arrives. They re-signed Marlon Mack to a one-year deal while he and Jordan Wilkins will be free agents after 2021.

So there is a chance the Colts take a look at Nwangwu on Day 3 of the draft, especially considering his ridiculous explosiveness.

At 6’0″ and 210 pounds, Nwangwu recorded a 9.89 RAS, which was the highest among all running backs in the 2021 draft class.

The issue with Nwangwu’s draft profile is the lack of production. He set a career high with just 61 rushing attempts in 2020 but averaged 5.6 yards per carry. This is mostly due to working behind David Montgomery and what could be the RB1 of the 2022 class in Breece Hall.

But on Day 3, the Colts are looking for upside. Nwangwu certainly has that, and it wouldn’t be that much of a shock to see them try to capture his skill set in the offense after Mack and Wilkins leave.

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