Vikings Sign Large New Rookie
Caleb Etienne is 6’7″ and 330 pounds, and he’s the newest member of the Minnesota Vikings, signed to the practice squad this week with Christian Darrisaw’s availability up in the air.
Etienne is a long, massive body with some developmental upside, and Minnesota’s timing tells you this is as much about surviving the next few weeks as it is about future evaluation.
Etienne was an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft, and at least for a while, he’ll be a part of the purple team.
Vikings Add Caleb Etienne to the Offensive Line Mix
Etienne — a popular NFL last name — will live on the Vikings’ practice squad.
Caleb Etienne to Vikings
It’s not Travis or Trevor, Etiennes who are running backs with the same last name, but Caleb will try the Vikings on for size.
The Vikings’ social media team tweeted Tuesday, five days before a showdown with the New York Giants in New Jersey: “The Vikings have signed T Caleb Etienne to the practice squad.”
Etienne hasn’t seen any NFL action, even behind the scenes, since being cut by the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of August. That will change this week in Minnesota.
Etienne’s Bio
Etienne is an older rookie; he will turn 25 next summer. He’s from New Orleans, playing high school ball at Warren Easton and attending college in four spots: Fort Scott (2019), Butler (2020), Oklahoma State (2021-2022), and BYU (2023-2024).
His name was not called on draft weekend in 2025, instead plucked off the UDFA wire in early May by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Etienne spent all spring and summer in Cincinnati, hopeful of earning a 53-man roster spot or, at the very least, a practice squad assignment during his rookie year. When the rubber hit the road, though, for late-summer roster trimdowns, Etienne was flat-out released and was not invited to the practice squad. Nothing happened for Etienne until this week — the Vikings’ practice squad arrangement.
The young lineman earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors at BYU last season.
Darrisaw Week-to-Week with Knee Injury
The Vikings described Darrisaw’s status on Monday as “week to week,” meaning he’s no shoo-in to play this Sunday at the New York Giants. Darrisaw almost missed Sunday night’s game in Dallas, as his team cruised to an eight-point upset triumph without him.
There’s budding paranoia that Darrisaw could miss more games solely because Minnesota has nothing to play for. It cannot reach the postseason.
While Darrisaw has not been ruled out of the rest of the season, the Etienne addition is proof that he could miss another game or two. It’s also worth remembering where Giants-Vikings will be played. The surface in New York — or New Jersey, technically — has a long, ugly reputation for chewing up knees, especially ACLs.
With the game carrying zero stakes, there’s no real upside to tempting fate. If the Vikings decide to sit Darrisaw, it’s hard to argue. This isn’t a spot to prove toughness or push limits. It’s a spot to protect a franchise lineman and live to fight games that actually count.
Etienne’s Upside
Fans should not expect much from the Etienne signing. He has a few players ahead of him on the depth chart, including veteran Justin Skule, who filled in admirably for Darrisaw in Dallas, and second-year OT Walter Rouse. The Vikings could also play guard Blake Brandel at tackle in a pinch; that was his primary position exiting the 2020 NFL Draft.
Etienne’s best-case scenario is to impress the coaching staff behind the scenes in the next three weeks and snag a futures deal from the Vikings, which will be handed out to a handful of players in January.
Scouting Report
The Draft Network profiled Etienne leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft: “One of the most significant areas for improvement for Etienne is his leverage. In protection, he tends to rise higher with each pass set, exposing his chest. His hands aren’t accurate or disruptive enough right now for him to play as tall as he does. Against NFL pass rushers, he’ll need to be able to sink below the point of contact rather than be elevated by it.”
“His leverage deficiencies are most apparent as a run blocker. His footwork and pad level, especially as a combo blocker, need improvement. His steps are inefficient and don’t often seem catered to the defensive look he’s given. He uses his hands reasonably well in the run game, but his stature and shape during the drive phase often leave him without a solid base.”
Injuries have totally rocked Minnesota’s trenches since Week 1, forcing over a dozen different OL combinations in three months.
TDN added: “Despite this, Etienne has shown relatively frequent flashes of strong landmarks and angles on defenders in various schemes. He can churn his feet on contact, and his size is often overwhelming for defenses. It’s difficult to predict what kind of professional football player Etienne will become.”
“The best parts of his game have yet to be unlocked, but they are certainly there. The BYU staff has quickly developed him, and I expect that there will be teams at the next level who see a player who checks many boxes. I anticipate Etienne will be drafted in April by a team looking to redshirt him and develop his game over time before expecting consistent playing time. Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits.”
The Vikings also employ undrafted free-agent rookie Max Pircher on the practice squad, who plays the same position as Etienne.
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