Vikings Add Big New WR
Most Minnesota Vikings wide receivers are 6’1″ or shorter, with N’Keal Harry as the lone exception on the active roster.
Vikings Add Big New WR
Here’s the group:
- Jordan Addison: 5’11”
- K.J. Osborn: 5’11”
- Jalen Nailor: 6’0″
- Justin Jefferson: 6’1″
- N’Keal Harry: 6’4″
But on Wednesday, the club added another tall wideout to the practice squad — Michigan alumnus Daylen Baldwin, who is 6’2″.
The Vikings’ social media team tweeted, “The Vikings have signed WR Daylen Baldwin to the practice squad.” Baldwin brings the roster to full strength after pass-catchers Dan Chisena and Trishton Jackson were released on Tuesday.
The Wolverine will live on the practice squad and is an injury or promotion from the gameday roster. If that happens, it would be the second regular season game of his career after a 2-reception 25-yard effort in Cleveland last year in Week 14.
Baldwin 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.
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 this week.
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.”
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).
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.”
The Vikings employ one other Michigan alumnus, safety Josh Metellus. Minnesota takes on the Chicago Bears in Week 12 on Monday Night Football and is a 3.5-point favorite.
Former Vikings Starter Promoted by Saints
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.
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