The 5 Youngest Players on the Vikings
Dustin Baker
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The NFL Draft is less than four weeks away, and five to ten new players will join the club. A slew of undrafted free agents will also hit the roster in the next four weeks.
In the meantime, Minnesota still has time to add new free agents, although the popular names are off the board. The Vikings need roster help at cornerback, off-ball linebacker, and arguably wide receiver + interior defensive line.
The 5 Youngest Players on the Vikings
If no free agents are welcomed at those spots, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will roll with “what he has,” leaning heavily on some youngsters in 2023. These are the five youngest players on the Vikings roster as of April 1st, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = youngest).
5. Akayleb Evans (CB)
Birthdate = June 22, 1999
Age = 23
Don’t look now, but based on how the Vikings cornerback room is shaping up this offseason — hint: more CBs have left than have arrived — Evans could start Week 1.
The Missouri alumnus impressed in Year One on the job but then succumbed to back-to-back concussions. The Vikings need more starting CBs next to newcomer Byron Murphy, which might just be Evans’ assignment.
4. Lewis Cine (S)
Birthdate = October 5, 1999
Age = 23
This mean young safety broke his leg across the pond last October just as the Vikings coaching staff was weaving the youngster into the gameplan. Minnesota made Cine its first draft pick last year, and the Georgia alumnus was thought of as starting safety throughout the summer.
Then, Cine didn’t steal Camryn Bynum’s job, fell injured, and has been recovering from an ill-fated rookie season since.
This season, Cine should start next to Harrison Smith, and if he does not, it will mean his recovery encountered a roadblock or ‘bust’ will start becoming associated with his name.
3. Brian Asamoah (LB)
Birthdate = March 23, 2000
Age = 23
Another defender on tap to start in September, Asamoah produced a strong rookie showing last year in limited playing time. Minnesota employed Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks as starting off-ball linebackers in 2022, but Kendricks jettisoned to the Los Angeles Chargers three weeks ago while Hicks returned for another year.
Unless the Vikings draft Trenton Simpson (Clemson) or Drew Sanders (Arkansas) at the end of the month, Asamoah will start for the Vikings in five months.
2. Ryan Wright (P)
Birthdate = June 1, 2000
Age = 22
The big-boned punter won a job from Jordan Berry last summer and never looked back. He then proved beyond the shadow of a doubt why he stole Berry’s job, and the rest is history.
Wright became a fan favorite in 2022, and for the first time in eons, the Vikings will have total special teams continuity via the kicking game in 2023.
1. Andrew Booth (CB)
Birthdate = September 28, 2000
Age = 22
Like Evans, Booth should benefit from a skimpy Vikings CB depth chart. Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, Duke Shelley, and Chandon Sullivan left the franchise, leaving Booth, Evans, and Byron Murphy as starting options.
Minnesota tried to work Booth into the 2022 defense, but he struggled — and later got hurt. Coming into and out of the 2022 NFL Draft, the knock on Booth was — you guessed it — injury.
We shall see if he rejuvenates in Year Two; he’s certainly young enough to do it. Booth is the youngest player on the Vikings pre-draft roster.
The Lewis Cine Update Is Sublime
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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