The Minnesota Vikings may have found a hidden gem at running back

The Minnesota Vikings running back room has undergone plenty of changes over the last two seasons. Longtime starter Dalvin Cook was released after the 2022 season due to declining play and salary cap restraints. Then, last season, the running game struggled with Alexander Mattison as the feature back, and he was then released this offseason.

This season, the team has brought in former Green Bay Packers pro bowler Aaron Jones as the lead back, with young third-year player Ty Chandler as the prominent backup. However, the Vikings may have discovered another significant weapon in the run game this past weekend during their preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders .

The talk around fourth-year running back Kene Nwangwu has predominantly been about how his impact will grow thanks to the new NFL kickoff rules this season. Nwangwu is one of the more prolific returners in the NFL, having already had three kickoff touchdowns in his young career. However, on Saturday afternoon, the Vikings showcased the Iowa State alum’s ability as a running back and may have unveiled a new playmaker for an already loaded Vikings offensive personnel group.

Nwangwu was given five carriers in Saturday’s victory and totaled 52 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Nwangwu also had two receptions. While the long touchdown run accounts for most of the stat line for the former Cyclone, Nwangwu showcased true explosive ability as a downhill runner on the run, which could make the coaching staff want to implement him more into the offense.

Given Jones’ injury history, seeing Nwangwu’s ability to find the hole created by the offensive line and explode into the secondary was a significant positive for the Vikings. Harnessing his explosivity as a returner and using it as a potential third-down role in an already high-octane offense could give the Vikings another primary weapon for their quarterbacks to rely on this season.

Whether the Vikings choose to keep more than four running backs on their 53-man roster will be interesting, but given Nwangwu’s return ability, his roster spot should be safe when cuts are made in a few weeks.

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