Vikings Quietly Sign New Running Back
The Minnesota Vikings, like other NFL teams, continually tweak their roster throughout the season, and 2025 is no exception. The club added running back Corey Kiner to the practice squad this week.
It didn’t make many headlines, but the Minnesota Vikings signed a new running back for the roster after Week 3.
Kiner will slip into Minnesota’s roster orbit and become one injury away from a peek at the regular season.
Vikings Onboard New RB
The Vikings are having success with a different former San Francisco 49ers RB, Jordan Mason, and Kiner is the next opportunity.
RB Corey Kiner to Vikings
Most fans didn’t know that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in the market for an additional tailback, but Kiner entered the mix this week nevertheless.
CBS Sports noted on the transaction: “Kiner was signed to the Vikings’ practice squad Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.”
“Kiner reached an injury settlement with the 49ers in late August after suffering an ankle injury, but he now appears to be back to full health. The running back will provide the team with an additional depth option while Aaron Jones (hamstring) is on injured reserve.”
It’s a fresh young option for the purple practice squad.
The Kiner Specs
A teammate of Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. at the University of Cincinnati, Kiner is 5’9 and 210 pounds. He produced two impressively fruitful seasons at Cincinnati in 2023 and 2024, notably rushing for 1,153 yards as a senior and notching 5 touchdowns.
Kiner has 4.57 speed, so nothing overly impressive for a halfback, and didn’t do much via catching the ball at Cincinnati.
He’s more of an Alexander Mattison-style tailback, if one might recall the good times of Mattison in purple. Kiner will turn 24 in January and went undrafted last April. The popular Consensus Big Board ranked Kiner at No. 281 heading into the 2025 NFL Draft — right in the territory with Vikings guard Joe Huber (No. 283) and New England Patriots wideout Efton Chism (No. 282).
The 2025 RB draft class was well-known for depth, and in a “normal” year, Kiner might have been a 7th-Rounder or so.
Vikings Updated RB Room
Kiner is officially in the house for the purple team, and here’s a look at the running back pecking order at the moment:
- Jordan Mason
- Aaron Jones (IR)
- Zavier Scott
- Cam Akers (Practice Squad)
- Xazavian Valladay (Practice Squad)
- Corey Kiner (Practice Squad)
Minnesota signed Akers last week, and he was immediately promoted to the gameday roster for Sunday’s dub over Cincinnati.
Kiner’s Outlook for 2025
The Vikings probably onboarded Kiner as a depth option with Jones on the shelf due to a bad hamstring. Six tailbacks in the regular season orbit is actually a bit strange for the Kevin O’Connell-led Vikings, making a regular season appearance for Kiner somewhat unlikely.
However, early in the 2024 season, Minnesota signed Zavier Scott to the practice squad, which currently resembles a cookie-cutter deal to that of Kiner. Therefore, Kiner, in theory, could stay attached to the practice squad and get an audition at the 53-man roster next summer.
Otherwise, injuries have utterly rattled Minnesota to start the season. If that continued, Kiner could sniff RB3 duty on Sundays.
Draft Scouting Report
NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein on Kiner: “Compact runner who is light on explosiveness but heavy on production and consistency. The more film you watch, the more you realize how rare it is to see Kiner brought down by the first tackler.”
“He can slink around solid contact or pinball off of it for additional yardage. He’s not super fast, but he runs with unchanging pace and a downhill tilt. Kiner is functional in the passing game but he’s not a third-down back and has no real special teams experience. He maximizes each carry to the best of his ability but lacks the burst and athleticism to survive behind a subpar line.”
Kiner’s weaknesses are basically speed (a lack of it) and ball security.
NFL Draft Buzz‘s Andrew Moore on Kiner: “Kiner has the makings of a reliable early-down runner in a committee backfield, where his tackle-breaking ability and consistent forward lean will convert short gains into medium chunks. The film shows a back who thrives in traffic, maintaining balance through contact that should translate well to the more physical NFL game. His vision and decisive cutting make him a natural fit in zone-based rushing attacks where he can plant his foot and get north without hesitation.”
“Despite limited explosiveness, Kiner brings a lunchpail mentality to the position that will endear him to running back coaches looking for dependability over flash. He’ll need significant development in the passing game to expand his role – his natural hands offer a foundation to build upon, but his route-running remains rudimentary. Protection technique requires overhaul, though his willingness to engage suggests coachability in this critical area.”
The Vikings rank fifth leaguewide per rushing DVOA entering Week 4, their highest standing since 2021.
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