Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; A Minnesota Vikings helmet with an Oakley visor on the field during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Most Minnesota Vikings wide receivers in 2023 were 6’1″ or shorter, with N’Keal Harry as the lone exception on the active roster.
This was the group:
But on Monday, the Vikings reunited with another tall wideout — Michigan alumnus Daylen Baldwin, who is 6’2″.
NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted, “The Vikings are signing WR Daylen Baldwin to a futures contract, per his agent James Peterson at Peterson Sports.”
The Wolverine will live on the Vikings roster as it begins a march toward 90 players by May. If he eventually sees action in a Vikings game, it would be the second regular season game of his career after a 2-reception 25-yard effort in Cleveland two years ago 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 2023, the 23-year-old was signed to a futures contract and stayed attached to the Browns until August 2023 before his waiver. Baldwin waited for his next opportunity until the Vikings’ call, which arrived in November when he initially signed in Minnesota.
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 may also be in the market for WR3 this offseason as K.J. Osborn is expected to hit free agency.
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.