Don't Forget About Ty Chandler in the Vikings' Backfield Picture
With Dalvin Cook gone, Alexander Mattison will be taking over as the Vikings' top running back for the first time in his career. Deeper down the depth chart, rookie DeWayne McBride is getting a lot of justified buzz as a potential contributor due to his impressive stats and tape at UAB.
Just don't forget about Ty Chandler when it comes to Minnesota's backfield picture in 2023. He's currently in line to be the team's No. 2 RB, which would come with a sizable role.
Selected in the fifth round last year out of Tennessee, Chandler showed some serious flashes during his rookie preseason. He carried the ball 15 times for 113 yards and a touchdown, displaying some nice acceleration, agility, and vision. 70 of his 113 yards came after contact, as he forced nine missed tackles. During the regular season, Chandler appeared in a couple games on special teams and then handled his first NFL carries in the meaningless finale against the Bears.
In his second season, Chandler will look to beat out McBride and Kene Nwangwu for the RB2 job behind Mattison. If he can do that, he'd likely be much more of a change-of-pace committee back — maybe even a 1B option to Mattison's 1A — than a true backup.
"I think he's gonna have to be," offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said when asked if Chandler is ready to take on a bigger role. "But yes. Ty's obviously a great athlete, (that's) the reason why we brought him here. But he's a real pro, he's been working really hard at it, as has that whole room. ... Ty's a guy that, we're continuing to give him opportunities, both in the run game and the pass game because of some of the things he can do coming out of the backfield and catching the football. He's getting better every day."
Here's a fun fact: Despite being drafted three years after Mattison, Chandler is actually a month older than him. The Nashville native spent four seasons at Tennessee, recording 2,511 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns while leading the team in carries in only one of those years. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown as a freshman. In 2021, Chandler used the COVID year to transfer to North Carolina for his fifth season, where he broke out with 1,308 yards and 14 touchdowns in a starting role. That season included dropping 198 yards on Virginia and 243 on Wake Forest.
Athletically, what stands out about the 5'11", 204-pound Chandler is his speed. He ran a 4.38 40 at the 2021 combine, with an elite 1.46-second ten-yard split. He also posted a strong ten-foot broad jump. Chandler's speed should make him an effective complement to Mattison, who is more of a power back with a 4.67 40.
Now that Cook is officially out the door, a significant role is within reach for Chandler if he can capitalize on the opportunity.
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