Once Promising Former Vikings Defender Lands in Vegas
The 2022 NFL Draft for the Minnesota Vikings has gone down as one of the worst draft classes for the franchise in recent memory.
Minnesota got rid of their first two draft selections, safety Lewis Cine and cornerback Andrew Booth, after just two years, and this offseason, they traded their other second-round pick, guard Ed Ingram, to the Houston Texans.
Then, during training camp, the Vikings opted to waive their third-round pick, Brian Asamoah, after he also had a disappointing start to his career despite some promise that was flashed during his rookie season.
Former Vikings Defender Heads to Vegas
Now, Asamoah has landed on his third team over the past month after signing with the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad.
It came in a series of moves that also included signing QB Jeff Driskel to the practice squad while releasing Matt Jones and Trey Taylor. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported the news. The insider wrote on X, “#Raiders also sign Brian Asamoah II to the practice squad, released Matt Jones and Trey Taylor from the practice squad.”
Asamoah, 25, was selected by the Vikings with the 66th overall pick in 2022 out of Oklahoma. It came at an uncertain time for the Minnesota at the linebacker position as Eric Kendricks was on his last legs, and Anthony Barr was let go following the conclusion of the 2021 campaign.
That rookie season saw Asamoah play 16 games for the Vikings as a reserve defender, and he totaled 17 tackles along with a key forced fumble and recovery in Week 16 against the New York Giants as Minnesota secured an NFC North title.
That Week 16 game caused plenty of hope for Vikings fans in the third-round selection, but the potential never came to fruition. One reason for that was Minnesota nailing an undrafted free agent signing in Ivan Pace during the spring of 2023.
Pace instantly jumped into a starting role for Minnesota that next season, leaving Asamoah once again as a reserve. After playing 119 defensive snaps in 2022, Asamoah played just 36 in 2023, totaling seven tackles over the course of the year.
Then, the Vikings signed Blake Cashman in 2024, leaving Asamoah firmly in the backseat of the linebacker room once again. He played just 33 defensive snaps last season and recorded six tackles.
With Cashman and Pace back once again in 2025, the Vikings opted to waive Asamoah on August 12. He was almost instantly claimed by the Tennessee Titans a day later, and he appeared in a preseason game against his former team this August.
However, the Titans did not keep Asamoah around through the roster cutdown date, and he was waived again on August 26. Now, the linebacker is hoping to get an opportunity to revive his career in Las Vegas.
The Raiders currently house Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts, Devin White, Jamal Adams, Tommy Eichenberg, Brennan Jackson, and Cody Lindenberg on the 53-man roster at the linebacker position.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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