The Vikings have signed former Temple linebacker William Kwenkeu, who attended their rookie minicamp on Friday and Saturday as a tryout player and clearly must have stood out. To make room on the 90-man roster, they released LB Tuf Borland, a 2021 UDFA out of Ohio State.
This move adds some athleticism to the back of the Vikings' depth chart at linebacker. Borland had a decorated career for the Buckeyes, but he likely doesn't have the athletic profile to see the field in the NFL. His size and testing numbers add up to a very poor 1.32 relative athletic score.
Kwenkeu has a much better RAS at 7.25, which is good but not elite. He's a bit undersized, but has the acceleration, speed, and agility that the Vikings are looking for in off-ball linebackers. He's not the same caliber of athlete or player as third-round pick Brian Asamoah II, but Kwenkeu fits that same general mold in terms of size and speed.
Here's how Kwenkeu and Asamoah compare, athletically:
What stands out most about Kwenkeu's athletic profile is the elite 10-yard split, which is a trait the Vikings prioritized in this year's draft.
Kwenkeu is already 24 years old, having spent six years at Temple. He played in 47 total games in college and had his best year in 2021, recording 51 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, a fumble returned for a touchdown, and a forced fumble.
The Vikings' top three off-ball linebackers are set with Eric Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, and Asamoah. Beyond that, the door is open for Kwenkeu and fellow UDFA Zach McCloud to compete with players like Blake Lynch, Troy Dye, Chazz Surratt, and Ryan Connelly for roster spots. Kwenkeu's realistic path to sticking around this year would be earning a spot on the practice squad.
Don't count out rookie tryout players; that's how Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham got in the door with the Vikings.
Kwenkeu is now the fourth former Temple player on the Vikings' 90-man roster, joining DL Jullian Taylor and CBs Nate Hairston and Harrison Hand. LSU and North Carolina are the only other schools with four players each on the Vikings' roster.
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