Inside The Vikings

Vikings Sign Former Concordia St. Paul Star Chris Garrett to Practice Squad

Garrett, an outside linebacker drafted by the Rams last year, fills Janarius Robinson's spot.
Will Ragatz|
Vikings Sign Former Concordia St. Paul Star Chris Garrett to Practice Squad
Vikings Sign Former Concordia St. Paul Star Chris Garrett to Practice Squad

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have signed outside linebacker Chris Garrett to their practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday.

They had a spot open on the 16-man unit after OLB Janarius Robinson was signed to the Eagles' active roster on Tuesday.

Garrett, 24, is a Milwaukee native who starred at Division II Concordia University in St. Paul, so he's familiar with the Twin Cities. Last year, he became just the second player ever drafted out of Concordia when the Rams took him with one of the final picks (No. 252 overall) in the seventh round. There's obviously a little bit of familiarity there, as Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, and quarterbacks coach Chris O'Hara were all on the Rams' coaching staff last season.

You have to be pretty dominant to get drafted out of a small school like Concordia, and Garrett fits that bill. He finished his three-year career with 36.5 sacks, 48.5 total tackles for loss, and 15 forced fumbles (which is the all-time DII record) in just 28 games.

Garrett is listed at 6'4", 245 pounds. He runs a 4.8 40 with a great 10-yard split, which is the one athletic testing number the Vikings' new regime seems to look for above all others. He has good agility scores, as well.

Garrett shined in the preseason for the Rams in both 2021 and 2022, but he was waived in final roster cuts this year. After working out for several teams, he has found his new NFL home.

The Vikings have five outside linebackers on the active roster: Za'Darius Smith, Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, and undrafted rookie Luiji Vilain, who was inactive in Week 1. Garrett essentially replaces Robinson as being sixth on the depth chart at that position.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. 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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