Inside The Vikings

Vikings Sign Fourth-Rounders Janarius Robinson and Kene Nwangwu to Rookie Contracts

The Vikings have now signed all of their fourth-round picks and have just four players left to sign.

Will Ragatz

The Vikings have signed fourth-rounders Kene Nwangwu and Janarius Robinson, bringing their total to seven of 11 draft picks who have signed their rookie contracts.

Nwangwu signed last weekend, inking a four-year, $4.23 million deal with a $753K signing bonus. He has an $848K cap hit in 2021.

The Vikings' first pick of Day 3, Ngangwu was a somewhat curious selection for multiple reasons. He was projected by most analysts to be a sixth or seventh-round pick, if he was even drafted. Nwangwu ranked 293rd on the consensus big board but was taken 119th by Minnesota. He also plays a position (running back) that was considered a very minor need for the Vikings, who already had Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah.

A few weeks later, I'm still skeptical about the pick, but it's not too difficult to understand what the Vikings' rationale was. Nwangwu is a truly elite athlete at the RB position in a draft that didn't have many of those. His speed, explosiveness, and agility are all top-tier traits. That physical profile allows him to step in and replace the departed Mike Boone as the team's No. 3 back.

Just as importantly, Nwangwu will be an asset on special teams, competing with fellow rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette for the kick returner job. After being stuck behind David Montgomery and Breece Hall at Iowa State, Nwangwu may have some untapped potential due to his athleticism.

Robinson signed his deal on Wednesday. His rookie contract is a four-year, $4.15 million deal with a $665K signing bonus and a 2021 cap hit of $826K.

After drafting Patrick Jones II out of Pitt in the third round, the Vikings doubled down on long, athletic edge rushers by selecting Robinson. While Jones had more production in college, Robinson's physical traits are significantly more impressive. 

He just looks like a guy who could develop into a standout pass rusher. Robinson has a well-built frame and extremely long arms. He showed some very exciting flashes on tape at Florida State and is the next project for Andre Patterson to coach up. 

If one of Robinson, Jones, and 2020 fourth-rounder D.J. Wonnum can turn into a stud, the Vikings' approach would be worth it. Given their physical profiles and the coaching of Patterson, I think there's a good chance that happens.

With Nwangwu and Robinson signing, only four players have yet to sign their rookie deals: third-rounders Kellen Mond, Chazz Surratt, Wyatt Davis, and Jones.

Several UDFAs have also signed their contracts, including former Oregon nose tackle Jordon Scott.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there. 

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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