2021 Minnesota Vikings Track and Field NFL Draft Recap

Kene Nwangwu is a former track star turned Minnesota Viking draft pick

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I'm sure that most of us that live in Minnesota are Vikings and/or track and field fans. With the 2021 NFL Draft now over, let's check at the newest members of the Vikings and see if they did track and field, and how they did if they did track and field. 

See: Dillon Radunz, Future NFL Star, Former Track Star

Dale Zanine-USA Today Sports

Kellen Mond
Texas A&M University
Third Round #66 Overall

Before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida, Mond attended San Antonio Reagan high school, where he competed on the track and field team in 2015. Mond ran in the 200m and 400m dash. He posted very respectable times of 23.45 in the 200m dash, and 49.31 in the 400m dash. His 49.31 400m dash was tied for the 96th fastest time in Texas that season. It would've been the 13th fastest time in Minnesota that season. 

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Jones II
University of Pittsburgh
Third Round #90 Overall

Jones attended Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Virginia where he was a standout on the track and field team as a thrower. Though he only competed in 2014 and 2015, he did plenty enough to leave his mark. In 2015 he set a discus PR of 162-10 and then went on to finish in 2nd at the VHSL Group 5A/6A State Outdoor T&F Championships only behind teammate Owen Chappell. 

Jones was teammates at Grassfield in 2015 and 2015 with Grant Holloway. Holloway would go onto a distinguished career at the University of Florida where he would win 8 NCAA Championships. He is also the current world record holder in the indoor 60m hurdles. 

Fun fact: Competing with Jones at the 2015 VHSL Group 5A/6A State Outdoor T&F Championships was Grant Holloway, Noah Lyles, Josephus Lyles, and Rachel McArthur.

2015 Virginia Top Discus Throwers

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kene Nwangwu
Iowa State University
Fourth Round #119 Overall

Nwangwu attended Frisco Heritage high school where he excelled in the high jump and long jump. He also competed in the 100m dash, 200m dash, and the triple jump. His senior year her won the Conference 4A UIL Track and Field Championship in the high jump with a jump of 6-10. He also finished third in the long jump at the same meet. Though his best events were in the high jump and long jump, Nwangwu also holds impressive PRs of 10.49 in the 100m dash, 22.00 in the 200m dash, and 44-8.5 in the triple jump. 

His jump of 6-11 in the high jump was tied for best in Texas in 2016 with Wallace Trenton, and his jump of 24-5 in the long jump was 4th best in the state. 

Bryon Houlgrave/The Register via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Ihmir Smith-Marsette
University of Iowa
Fifth Round #157 Overall

Before he was hurdling people on the football field at the University of Iowa, Ihmir was running over actual hurdles in New Jersey and on the national level. In his final outdoor track and field season in 2016, Ihmir won the Emerging Elite 110m Hurdles at New Balance Outdoor Nationals and finished third in the Emerging Elite 400m Hurdles at the same event. 

See: Watch the Weequahic Boys Run 57.82 In the Shuttle Hurdles at Blue Devil

Ihmir was a very impressive high school track and field athlete as evidenced by his long PR list below:

Photo courtesy of Central Missouri State

Zach Davidson
Central Missouri State 
Fifth Round #168 Overall

Davidson embarked on a brief track and field career at Webb City High School but showed promising athleticism when he did compete. Davidson his sophomore year had PRs of 52.52 in the 400m dash and 24.70 in the 200m dash.  He started his collegiate football career as a punter, but eventually switched to being a tight end. Maybe his speed helped with the switch?