The Vikings didn’t spend a sixth-round pick on Demond Claiborne just to watch him sit on the edge of the roster, but that’s where things have landed through the first three weeks of his rookie season.
Minnesota used pick No. 199 on the Wake Forest back in April because the room needed a true speed threat after Dalvin Cook’s departure in the spring of 2023. Claiborne’s burst made him worth the gamble, even if a late-round rookie had plenty working against him from the start. Instead of carving out a steady role, though, he’s been squeezed by the Vikings’ ongoing search for backfield help.
Claiborne was inactive in Week 1 against the Packers, while the team turned to recent practice squad addition DeeJay Dallas for RB3 duties. Jordan Mason then landed on injured reserve with a thumb injury, opening the door for Claiborne to pick up more work.
The rookie got a look in Week 2, but it amounted to zero carries and just one catch for two yards. In Week 3, he finally logged his first three NFL carries - and turned them into one yard.
Minnesota has not exactly stood pat around him. On Wednesday, the Vikings added veteran running backs Devin Neal and Audric Estime after releasing Jerome Ford and Jaret Patterson a few days earlier. That came on top of a busy stretch in which the team signed five different backs to the practice squad over the past month in an effort to find more depth.
Still, head coach Kevin O'Connell said after Wednesday’s practice that he sees ways Claiborne can help.
"Impact on our team? I would love to see (Demond) get more work out of the backfield, and I think we will," O'Connell said. "But he's already helping us in multiple ways."
"He's already helping us in multiple ways." - Coach Kevin O'Connell on Demond Claiborne pic.twitter.com/QtYE1FiqEa
That’s the encouraging part for Claiborne. The less encouraging part is everything else the Vikings have shown so far.
His camp offered the same mixed bag that followed him into the draft: enough explosive plays to justify the pick, but enough issues to explain why he lasted until late Day 3. He flashed the breakaway speed Minnesota wanted, yet the ball security, pass protection and hands were all real problems.
The preseason didn’t change much. Claiborne never topped 2.8 yards per carry in those appearances, though his camp flashes were still enough to keep him on the 53-man roster while locker room favorite and former RB3 Zavier Scott got squeezed out.
The regular season has only sharpened the picture. In Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers, Claiborne missed a huge running lane that could have turned into a major gain thanks to his speed. For now, that’s the issue in a nutshell: the athletic traits are there, but the processing hasn’t caught up.
If Claiborne wants a larger role, he has to show he can protect the ball and recognize openings fast enough to actually use that burst. That task starts in Week 4 against the Dolphins. If it doesn’t happen, Minnesota will keep cycling through candidates until somebody proves trustworthy.
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