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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Tyler Forness

Vikings 90-man roster player profile: RB DeWayne McBride

Welcome to the beginning of our 2023 season preview content!

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at each player on the roster in-depth with backgrounds and how they currently project forward on the Minnesota Vikings roster.

What is the best-case scenario? What is the worst-case scenario? What should we expect from them during the preseason and beyond? We will break all of that down here.

As a staff, all of us at Vikings Wire ranked the entire 90-man roster 1-90 and will be releasing player profiles in reverse order.

Background

AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

Name: DeWayne McBride

Rank: 48

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 215 lbs

Experience: Rookie

College: UAB

Stats (At UAB): 31 games, 484 carries, 3,523 yards, 7.3 YPC, 36 touchdowns, 5 receptions, 29 yards

Votes: 

Tyler Forness: 48

Kevin Fielder: 48

Judd Zulgad: 47

Saivion Mixson: 48

Average: 47.75

Best case scenario

Joshua L. Jones/Athens Banner-Herald

Even though McBride was a seventh-round pick, there is a path where he can be a major contributor. If his hamstring wasn’t hindering him, McBride would have testing data and probably goes in round three or four. He runs like a car crash and can bounce off of defenders easily. The ability to see the hole and accelerate through it paired with bouncing off defenders will get him opportunities to run the ball on early downs.

Worst case scenario

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

There isn’t any way to sugarcoat the fact that McBride had only nine targets with five catches for 29 yards across three seasons at UAB. Not being used in the passing game is a red flag that he couldn’t solve during the NFL draft process due to a hamstring injury. Not having a real utility on third down is a major hindrance to getting onto the field as a backup running back in a rotation.

What to expect in 2023

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

McBride is currently a talented unknown in the Vikings running back room. He can run the football as good as anyone, but what he doesn’t have is a well rounded skillset at this point. What he shows in those areas during training camp and the preseason will determine what he will become this season. As long as McBride doesn’t have a disastrous training camp, expect him to make the roster.

The Real Forno Show

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