The Minnesota Vikings made a pair of running back moves on Wednesday afternoon. They signed running back Jermar Jefferson, and waived running back Jordan Mims.
Jefferson was brought in for a workout earlier this week as the organization evaluated its running back depth. Jefferson carries with him a stellar reputation from the collegiate level. The Vikings have a stout running back room headlined by Aaron Jones. Rookie Demond Claiborne has also emerged over the past couple of weeks. Even still depth is important. Thus, the Vikings added Jefferson, as confirmed by the team.
New Vikings Addition Was College Star
The playmaker was extremely productive at Oregon State, accumulating 2920 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns in 27 games.
This included a stellar freshman campaign in which he recorded 239 carries for 1,380 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jefferson accomplished this in 12 games. He also recorded 25 catches for 147 yards. The playmaker was immediately able to make a splash at the collegiate level. He was named the 2018 Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
Jefferson would also have other accolades throughout the course of his collegiate career. The 2020 season was a breakout year for him. He had a shortened junior season, but made the most of it. Jefferson played in six games and recorded 858 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He was named the Co-Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. Jefferson was also a Doak Walker Award Semifinalist, First-Team All-Pac-12 selection, and an All-American.
Jefferson was most recently waived by the San Francisco 49ers on May 28.
In the meantime, Mims’ stint with the Vikings was short-lived. He initially signed a one-year deal on July 28 to compete for a depth role at running back. He missed time at training camp due to an undisclosed issue, and now he will be looking for his next home.
An Ideal Move For Vikings
This is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Vikings. As mentioned, they already have a solid veteran in Aaron Jones and a dependable backup in Jordan Mason. It’s reasonable to suggest that there is a certain level of uncertainty with Demond Claiborne. He has shown promising instances over the course of training camp. However, adding another veteran to the running back room is certainly not a bad thing. Claiborne could end up being a promising player. This just allows them time to develop.
At the very least, this gives the Vikings additional running back depth. The team is set to face the New York Giants on Saturday in their first preseason game. This could be the chance for Jefferson to really show his skill set and what he can do. The running back’s been a bit of a journeyman throughout the course of his career, and this could be an opportunity for him to find some stability with the Vikings. Of course, it’s certainly reasonable to suspect that he would be just a training camp addition. However, it’s nice to have that depth and be able to evaluate as the preseason goes on.
At the very least, the Vikings are not leaving any stone unturned. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if Jefferson can take on a meaningful role with the organization.
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