Undrafted Viking Steals the Show at Training Camp
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Dwight McGlothern might have staying power.
A second-year cornerback, Dwight McGlothern, is making waves at Vikings training camp with standout plays and back-to-back INTs. Here’s why he’s stealing the spotlight and what it means for the long haul.
The 23-year-old Texas native made Minnesota’s 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent last year, and he’s trending that way again this summer.
In short, McGlothern has put highlights on tape throughout the last few days, an encouraging development for a team that needs all the cornerback help it can get.
Look out for Dwight McGlothern at Vikings Training Camp
The young cornerback is turning heads at the best possible time.
Dwight McGlothern Putting Together a Sweet Training Camp
SI.com’s Will Ragatz tweeted Tuesday, “Second straight day with an interception for Dwight McGlothern. All he does is make plays.”
McGlothern has made splashy plays in Eagan since training camp kicked off last week, forcing his case for Brian Flores’ regular season roster. Tuesday’s pick arrived off the fingers of Sam Howell, Minnesota’s QB2, who’s off to a somewhat rocky start in Minnesota.
Here’s the transaction for the man nicknamed Nudie:
McGlothern on the Roster Bubble, By the Numbers
Heading into camp, the cornerback position provided the utmost mystery. Why? Well, after Byron Murphy Jr., a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024, no one was too sure which corners would emerge beneath him on the depth chart. The contenders included Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, Mekhi Blackmon, Ambry Thomas, UDFA Zemaiah Vaughn — and McGlothern.
Based on the pecking order, McGlothern must stand out enough to ensure Thomas, Vaughn, or a lesser-known undrafted free agent doesn’t steal his CB5 spot.
It feels like “so far, so good” on that mission for McGlothern at training camp.
Performance Last Year
The Arkansas alumnus played five games as a rookie in 2024, a fancy way of saying just 19 defensive snaps and 17 appearances on special teams. McGlothern performed well in an extremely small sample, and the next step will be to determine his talent when handed north of 100+ snaps or so.
The lesson last year? He had the juice to make the regular season roster. Now, he’ll have to do that again and then some.
A McGlothern Breakout Season Would Tame Fears
Since the end of the 2025 NFL Draft in April, when the Vikings selected precisely zero cornerbacks, fans have wondered if one more corner would be on the way. Instead, players like Jaire Alexander signed with the Baltimore Ravens, Mike Hilton picked the Miami Dolphins, and Jack Jones joined Hilton in South Beach. Jalen Ramsey, a future Hall of Famer, also hit the trade block, finding his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers — not the Vikings.
Despite a perceived roster weakness at cornerback, Minnesota has added no big-name free-agent CBs in the last few months.
So, when a guy like McGlothern makes impactful plays in Eagan, it makes the braintrust look pretty spiffy. Perhaps Minnesota doesn’t need any cornerback support after all.
Ted Schwerzler on McGlothern
Our own Ted Schwerzler wrote about McGlothern a few days ago, ‘If there’s still a position to be wary of on the Minnesota Vikings roster, it’s the cornerback position. Byron Murphy Jr. is back, and Isaiah Rodgers is an upside play to replace Stephon Gilmore. Shaq Griffin is gone, though, and there wasn’t an external replacement brought in.”
“The Vikings do get a healthy Mekhi Blackmon back after his season-ending knee injury last year. It’s McGlothern, though, who could look to parlay his intriguing year one into more playing time. McGlothern was a training camp darling after going undrafted out of Arkansas last year.”
A verdict on McGlothern making the 53-man roster is less than four weeks away.
Schwerzler added, “Ultimately, it led to action in just five games, and he tallied only 19 defensive snaps. At 6’2,″185 pounds, McGlothern has the ideal size for the position. If he can harness the movements, coverages, and overall scheme, there may be something special developing. Minnesota brought in veteran Jeff Okudah as a depth addition as well.”
“He has failed to live up to his former third overall pick pedigree in three different stops now. If McGlothern wants to make a name for himself, there’s a guy to leapfrog.”
The Vikings’ first preseason game against the Houston Texans, where McGlothern will receive ample action, is just 10 days away.
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