Saints Add 2nd Former Viking to Roster
Dustin Baker
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The New Orleans Saints signed former Minnesota Vikings offensive guard Wyatt Davis on Thursday. Davis spent the last week on the New York Giants practice squad.
Davis now joins the Saints active 53-man roster.
Linebacker Eric Wilson, who played for the Vikings from 2017 to 2020, is also a member of the Saints but lives on the practice squad.
The Vikings drafted Davis in the 3rd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, fruit of a trade with the New York Jets. Minnesota, led by general manager Rick Spielman at the time, traded back nine spots for two extra 3rd-Rounders. The Jets used the Vikings 14th overall pick to select Alijah Vera-Tucker (OG) while Spielman drafted Christian Darrisaw (LT) with the 23rd overall pick and parlayed the 3rd-Round trade capital into Davis and Kellen Mond (QB). Folks championed the trade 16 months ago, but now it’s evident that landing Darrisaw was the only saving grade.
Both Davis and Mond were released amid Vikings roster cuts last week, along with several other rookies from Minnesota’s 2021 draft class.
The Giants scooped Davis from the waiver wire, but the relationship was short-lived. For now, he’ll exist on the Saints active roster, meaning he could see the first real regular season action of his career.
During the buildup to the 2021 NFL Draft, at least early in the cycle, some nominated Davis as a 1st-Round talent. In 2019 and 2020, Davis earned 1st-Team All-Big Ten honors and was one of the best collegiate guards in the world. That’s why Vikings enthusiasts believe an unpolished gem could be on the roster.
Yet, with the Mike Zimmer version of the Vikings, Davis was banished to the bench — along with the aforementioned Mond — and his Vikings career was brief.
In New Orleans, Davis will battle Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz, and Calvin Throckmorton for playing time. Per Pro Football Focus, the Saints had the NFL’s 18th-best offensive line in 2021.
Davis becomes the seventh former Ohio State alumnus on the Saints roster. He’ll turn 24 in February.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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