Vikings Drop Newcomer WR

Dustin Baker |

Dec 13, 2023

The relationship didn’t last long, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

The Minnesota Vikings said goodbye, at least temporarily, to a newcomer wide receiver, as the club tweeted Tuesday, “The Vikings have released WR Daylen Baldwin from the practice squad.”

Vikings Drop Newcomer WR

Baldwin joined the Vikings practice squad three weeks ago and is now free to sign anywhere in the league. The franchise added offensive lineman Henry Byrd on Wednesday morning, who effectively takes Baldwin’s practice squad spot.

Last year in Week 14, Baldwin fired up a 2-reception 25-yard game as a Cleveland Brown, his only regular season action to date. He’s a big wide receiver, standing 6’2,” so he should catch on somewhere before too long or perhaps in the offseason.

The 24-year-old spent time with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in 2022 after an undrafted outcome during that year’s draft. He signed in New York in May 2022, was dropped shortly thereafter, and latched onto Cleveland’s roster in August of the same year. But Baldwin was a roster-trimdown candidate last season and ended up on the Browns’ practice squad.

Michigan wide receiver Daylen Baldwin (85) runs for a touchdown against Western Michigan during the second half Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. © Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

Then in January, the 23-year-old was signed to a futures contract and stayed attached to the Browns until August 2023 before his waiver. Until the Vikings’ call, Baldwin waited for his next opportunity, and it arrived in November.

On3’s Anthony Broome scouted Baldwin leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, “While not a burner, he does move well down the field, as evidenced by a pair of long touchdowns he scored off the arm of J.J. McCarthy in 2021. Baldwin has a long, wide catch radius given his frame and has the ability to play receiver like a basketball player, snatching balls out of the air.”

Jackson State wide receiver Daylen Baldwin (6) is out of bounds near the end zone on the final play of the half as Alabama State defensive back Irshaad Davis (6) defends in first-half action at Hornet Stadium on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, March 20, 2021. © Mickey Welsh / Advertiser via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

During his final season at Michigan, Baldwin played in 14 games and tallied 17 receptions for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also played college ball at Morgan State (2017-2018) and Jackson State (2019-2020).

Michigan wide receiver Daylen Baldwin (85) runs against Northern Illinois ]during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. © Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

Broome added in the Baldwin scouting report, “He is a high-character prospect and his Michigan teammates enjoyed playing alongside him. His work ethic every stop of the way was a standout trait to the coaching staffs he played for. Baldwin was a well-rounded, nice depth piece at Michigan and was coveted by other teams in the Big Ten.”

Without Baldwin, these are the Vikings current WRs:

Justin Jefferson
Jordan Addison
K.J. Osborn
Brandon Powell
Jalen Nailor
N’Keal Harry (PS)
Trishton Jackson (PS)
Lucky Jackson (PS)
Thayer Thomas (PS)

The Vikings travel to Cincinnati for a Week 15 date with the Bengals on Saturday.

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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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.