The Minnesota Vikings rookie class has been a major cause for discussion over the first few weeks. The main reason? We haven’t seen a lot of this class thus far.
What does this mean? Well, each player either playing or not playing is its own story. Context is the most important thing when discussing the rookie class, especially after only three weeks. The Vikings are 2-1 so it’s hard to fault them for the approach they have taken.
Let’s take a look at what each rookie has done thus far and why their accomplishments are what they are.
Safety Lewis Cine
2 games, 1 defensive snap, 30 special teams snaps
Cine has been the biggest frustration among fans. The first-round pick out of Georgia has not had the best start. He aggravated a knee injury during training camp that caused him to miss week one against the Green Bay Packers. After that, Cine did suit up for the next two games but didn’t get much playing time. He played in one snap against the Philadelphia Eagles and didn’t get one snap against the Detroit Lions this past week with Harrison Smith out of action.
Is this a big deal? Right now, it shouldn’t be. When Cine came into the NFL, he needed time. In the preseason, his reaction time was just a tad too slow. He would have made a couple of really nice plays if he was completely up to speed. It is frustrating that he hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time but it’s not a cause for concern…yet.
Cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.
1 game, 2 special teams snaps
Like Cine, Booth Jr. has dealt with injuries. He wasn’t fully healthy until partially into training camp healing from core muscle surgery and once he did get onto the field, showed some real struggles. He was grabby and committed too many penalties. Those instances dropped him to sixth on the depth chart behind fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans and special teams ace Kris Boyd.
Once he did get onto the field, Booth Jr. hurt his quad on his second play and hasn’t suited up since. Long term, Booth Jr. has the skill set to be a top cornerback. His ability to mirror and click-and-close should have Vikings fans excited. He needs some time to develop and with the injuries he’s had, a redshirt season isn’t the worst thing for Booth Jr.
Guard Ed Ingram
3 games, 195 snaps, 56.2 PFF grade
Ingram was arguably the best offensive lineman in the preseason for the Vikings. He was dominating in those three games, moving defensive linemen with ease and being a physical force. He was always looking for work and found it with ease.
In the first few games, Ingram has had struggles. He has been oversetting and leaning a little too much in pass protection. That will correct itself over time as these are common rookie mistakes. The Vikings have found their right guard of the future and he’s already an improvement in pass protection over the likes of Dakota Dozier and Oli Udoh.
Linebacker Brian Asamoah
3 games, 48 special teams snaps
Asamoah was drafted as a project not ready to play this season. His eyes just aren’t at a place where you can trust him in run fits or in pass coverage consistently. Putting him in now could damage his confidence and spark a lot of big plays for the opposing team. His future is bright, especially with how he fits the modern game. Asamoah has an explosive athletic skill set with a quick trigger when he does see things correctly. He should be the starter either next year or in 2024.
Cornerback Akayleb Evans
3 games, 27 special teams snaps, 27 defensive snaps, 54.9 PFF grade
Evans was a player that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah identified early on as a player that he wanted. The cornerback from Missouri was really good in both man and zone coverage. He knows how to mirror routes well and stay in the hip pocket of the receiver. His ball skills are lacking and that’s the main reason that he fell to the fourth round. He did earn the top backup cornerback job behind the top three of Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler and Chandon Sullivan. He has a bright future moving forward.
The rest of the bunch
Ty Chandler, Esezi Otomewo, Vederian Lowe, Nick Muse and Luiji Vilain: 0 games played combined
Jalen Nailor: 3 games, 28 special teams snaps
None of these should be a surprise. The Vikings kept Otomewo, Lowe and Chandler on the 53-man roster because they were all talented developmental projects that wouldn’t have passed through waivers. That is also why those three were kept on the roster. Vilain was also kept due to waivers but also because Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith have had injury issues. Nailor is a developmental player that has only been used in the return game and in kick coverage.
What to think of the rookie class thus far?
It is way too early to panic on any player in this class. Rookies are meant to impact the team long-term. It’s why tweets like these that lack context can be dangerous.
[updated] Minnesota drafted defensive players in the first five rounds. Here's their defense snaps through 3 weeks:
R1 – S Lewis Cine: 1 snaps / 196 snaps
R2 – CB Andrew Booth: 0 snaps
R3 – LB Brian Asamoah: 0 snaps
R4 – CB Akayleb Evans: 27 snaps
R5 – DT Esezi Otomewo: 0 snaps— Paul Charchian (@PaulCharchian) September 28, 2022
There is always a why behind each player either playing or not playing. It’s almost never a big deal not seeing a lot of playing time before week four. Once we get into year two or three then we can start to panic and be concerned that these players aren’t working out. Right now, the Vikings are getting meaningful contributions from a starter and not in a position where they have to rush players in before they are ready. This is truly a good position that the Vikings have put themselves in and fans should continue to be positive with the 2022 rookie class.
