The Minnesota Vikings completed their parting of ways with the undrafted free agent running back Kejon Owens, replacing him on the roster with Jarod Washington, a cornerback from the FCS level who turned heads during the pre-draft process.
Vikings Add CB Jarod Washington
GettyJarod Washington #12 of the South Carolina State Bulldogs tackles Jameel Gardner Jr. #7 of the Jackson State Tigers.
“The #Vikings have signed CB Jarod Washington and waived/non-football illness RB Kejon Owens,” the Vikings announced in a post on X on August 2.
Washington measured in a 6-feet and 190 pounds at his pro day.
More importantly, he stood out to evaluators before going unselected and has remained on teams’ radars in the time since. In the NFL, fit can sometimes be just as important as a player’s talent, and the Vikings could be that for Washington.
“Scouts were on hand for the SCSU pro day, and cornerback Jarod Washington, who stood out during Shrine Bowl practices, was impressive,” Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline wrote in March. “Washington measured six feet, 190 pounds, four more pounds than his weight from the Shrine. He timed 4.42 seconds in the 40 and looked good in position drills.”
Washington had met with the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Texans by that point, and he has since tried sticking with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Vikings DC Brian Flores will try to tap into what Washington can do on the football field.
Vikings Got Playmaker in Rookie CB
GettyBrian Flores must tap into what made Jarod Washington stand out during the pre-draft process.
Washington was a playmaker in college, with the new Vikings DB tallying 30 total tackles, 2 interceptions during the 2025 season for the Bulldogs.
There are warts to his game, though, which could be a factor in his bouncing around early.
“Washington put together back-to-back All-MEAC seasons for the Bulldogs. He helped lead the program to back-to-back Celebration Bowl appearances, winning the HBCU National Championship in 2025,” FCS Football Central On SI’s Gerald Huggins wrote of the newest Viking in March. “Washington is a cornerback with good size, strong instincts in zone coverage, and competitiveness. He shows a good closing burst, paired with adequate anticipation, to drive on underneath routes in zone coverage.
“Washington projects as a fringe NFL roster cornerback prospect who fits best in a system that allows him to trigger on underneath routes and play primarily in zone. His instincts and trigger make him an intriguing option as a late-round or post-draft priority pick-up.”
Huggins questioned Washington’s top speed and acceleration but did see room for growth.
“He has upside to be a quality rotational cornerback at the NFL level, with special-teams value, or to become a quality starter earlier in his career on a second-tier” roster, Huggins wrote.
Kejon Owens Must Wait Longer to Return to Vikings
GettyKejon Owens’ time with the Vikings is coming to an end.
The Vikings placed Owens on the NFI list at the start of training camp, leaving the writing on the wall about his future.
What comes next is a bit complex.
Owens will go through the waiver process as an player of his experience would. If he goes unclaimed, Owens will revert to the Vikings’ NFI list. Then, the two sides can work out an injury settlement, which will allow the Vikings to officially waive Owens.
Once that happens, Owens is free to sign with virtually any team he chooses. The only caveat is that he cannot return to the Vikings for the length of the settlement plus three weeks.
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