Vikings Announce Jersey Numbers For Drafted Rookies and UDFAs
The Vikings have announced the jersey numbers that all of their draft picks and undrafted rookies will wear this season.
First, the six draft picks:
- WR Jordan Addison: 3
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 11
- S Jay Ward: 20
- NT Jaquelin Roy: 78
- QB Jaren Hall: 16
- RB DeWayne McBride: 37
Addison wore 3 at both Pitt and USC and he'll keep it in the NFL. He wouldn't have been able to do so a few years ago, but jersey number restrictions by position were relaxed two years ago. Blackmon wore 6 in college, but that's blocked by Lewis Cine, so he went with 11.
Rookies don't have many options to choose from, so they will often change numbers after getting through training camp or in their second season. That could be the case for someone like McBride, who wore 22 in college — that one is occupied by Harrison Smith — and now has 37, a not-very-aesthetically-pleasing RB number.
Here are all of the Vikings' UDFAs:
- IOL Alan Ali: 66
- DT Calvin Avery: 69
- ILB Abraham Beauplan: 39
- OLB Andre Carter II: 57
- OT Jacky Chen: 63
- CB C.J. Coldon: 35
- ILB Wilson Huber: 41
- WR Cephus Johnson III: 85
- WR Malik Knowles: 81
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr: 40
- K Jack Podlesny: 46
- TE Ben Sims: 49
- WR Thayer Thomas: 89
- CB NaJee Thompson: 36
- CB Jaylin Williams: 38
Pace wore 0 in college and there's a new rule allowing players to wear 0 in the NFL, but the Vikings announced that free agent edge rusher Marcus Davenport will wear that number. Pace will settle for 40 instead. 57 is a solid pick for edge rusher Andre Carter, who strangely wore 34 in college. The toughest ones here are the corners in the 30s and Podlesny and Sims being in the high 40s. That's long-snapper range.
Again, if any of these undrafted guys makes it onto the roster, they'll likely be able to change their number.
Outside of Davenport and Curtis Weaver (54), the Vikings haven't announced jersey numbers for their free agent acquisitions.
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