The 5 Fastest Players on the Vikings | April 2023
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings have five picks in the NFL draft at the end of the month and are expected to add a cornerback, wide receiver, and at least three other complementary players.
The roster has specific needs as of early April, as the remaining months of free agency and the draft will be used for roster fortification.
The 5 Fastest Players on the Vikings | April 2023
But like many NFL teams, the Vikings have a lot of speed peppered across the roster. These are the fastest players on the Vikings at the moment, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = fastest).
5. Lewis Cine (S)
Cine’s recovering from a broken leg at the moment, but otherwise, the man ran a 4.37 forty at the 2022 NFL Combine. His athleticism was a part of the lure plopping him in Round 1.
Barring setback with the injury recovery, Cine should snag a starting job in the Vikings 2023 defense, intermixed with the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Cine’s speed and aggression will be music to Flores’ ears.
4. Jalen Nailor (WR)
Foremost, the man’s nickname is Speedy. That should tell the beholder something.
A track star in high school and college, Nailor didn’t rip up the NFL Combine last year. He “only” ran a 4.5 forty, probably sinking his draft stock to the Vikings in Round 6. According to him and his teammates, though, he’s one of the fastest players on the team, and some of that speed was showcased down the stretch of the 2022 season.
Nailor may be looking at a WR3 job this autumn, depending on the Vikings draft choices in 2.5 weeks.
3. Ty Chandler (RB)
The beholder of 4.38 speed, Chandler will experience more playing time in 2023 — if Dalvin Cook is eventually traded. Minnesota re-signed Alexander Mattison last month, meaning Chandler would be on the menu for RB2 if Cook departs.
Chandler’s rookie campaign was mostly sunk by injury — a common theme of the Vikings 2022 draft class — but he’s around the third fastest player on the team. You’ll see more of his speed in five months.
2. Kene Nwangwu (RB)
Before the next guy joined the depth chart, Nwangwu was the fastest Viking beyond the shadow of a doubt. He’s returned three kick returns for touchdowns in two years, all thanks to brute-force speed.
Nwangwu’s touchdown on Thanksgiving night against the New England Patriots was the injection the Vikings needed to take down Bill Belichick’s team. At some point, Minnesota might even use his speed on offense. We shall see.
1. Kalon Barnes (CB)
About 13 months ago, Barnes ran the second-fastest 40-time in the history of the NFL Combine with a 4.23. Forget the Vikings. He may be the fastest player in the whole damn league.
His “problem” is playing time, a malady often besetting speed guys. He’s a CB5 for the Vikings, and it is unclear if the team will ever fully utilize his speed.
But Barnes is unquestionably the fastest man on the Vikings. In fact, no player in the 2023 NFL Draft pool, on paper, will be faster than Barnes.
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,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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