Soon Enough, A Vikings Mystery is Going to Get Solved

Since getting scooped up as an undrafted talent, CB Dwight McGlothern has inspired intrigue among fan and coach like. After all, the young fella has lived on the roster as a depth option for two-straight seasons.

The odd part is that Minnesota has put great effort into ensuring he doesn’t get onto the field.

Soon enough, that Vikings mystery needs to arrive at some form of an answer. Can McGlothern be trusted to earn playing time? If not, then why is he demanding a spot on the final roster? He doesn’t help on specials, meaning he has been occupying a coveted roster spot without doing a ton in games. Presumably, the 2026 season won’t involve a similar setup. Indeed, the upcoming season appears to be the one where the UDFA success story needs to prove capable of actually playing football on Sunday.

The Dwight McGlothern Vikings Mystery Will Get Answered Soon

Back in 2024, it was pretty easy to explain the modest playing time due to the in-house corner depth.

Sitting atop the corner cluster was Byron Murphy Jr. He was being supported by veterans Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. Next up was Fabian Moreau, who was quietly sturdy in his time in Minnesota. In that particular context, McGlothern’s near non-existent job was sensible and to be expected. Moreover, the in-house safety talent was demanding a good workload, further depleting the available snaps for the kid corner.

The 2024 season was easy to understand, but he then got kept around in 2025. That’s the year when things got odd.

The Vikings went through a modest reset at corner. Neither of Griffin nor Gilmore were brought back. Instead, the pivot was toward Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, both of whom were firmly within their prime.

Rodgers, for the most part, played sturdy football. Meanwhile, Okudah couldn’t overcome the issues that have hindered his career. He played poorly and then needed to take time away to get healthy.

The Vikings therefore had to find a third corner. Sitting at CB4 was Dwight McGlothern, who again got onto the final roster. The obvious move would be to feature the young coverage player but Brian Flores & Co. instead bumped up the veteran Moreau from the practice squad, bypassing the roster’s built-in option.

In two seasons (mostly) on the roster, Dwight McGlothern has played 19 snaps on defense and then 31 snaps on defense. He has just 17 snaps and then 20 snaps on specials, so it’s not as if he’s crushing things as a gunner.

Known by the nickname “Nudie,” McGlothern appears to be well-liked among coaches and teammates. He has proven capable of overcoming long odds by getting onto the team. What has been so bizarre, though, has been the team’s unwillingness to give him any on-field work despite making the effort to retain his services.

Keeping the 24-year-old corner suggests that Minnesota hasn’t wanted to lose him. He can’t get poached from the practice squad if he isn’t shuffled down to the practice squad. But, strangely, the team has then avoided playing him, suggesting there’s not huge trust in his ability to play sturdy ball.

McGlothern stands at 6’2″ and weighs 185 pounds. He’s facing increased competition from guys such as Chuck Demmings and Zemaiah Vaughn to make the final team.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.