Minnesota Vikings make another intriguing roster move in waiving a former UDFA standout
It’s an interesting cornerback room for the Vikings, and they just made a major change to the depth of it.
The Minnesota Vikings are making roster moves ahead of their final preseason game of the 2026 season, waiving two players with injury designations and adding depth at multiple positions. The moves include bringing back defensive tackle Jonathan Harris to fill out the roster for Friday’s matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Minnesota made four roster moves on Monday, including waiving defensive tackle Taki Taimani with an injury designation. Taimani likely wasn’t going to make the 53-man roster, and by making the move now, the Vikings added an extra body in Harris to field a roster deep enough to get through the final preseason game. It’s also beneficial for Harris, who will now have an extra game of tape for the rest of the NFL to evaluate.
Vikings swap cornerbacks, add Tre Hawkins
On Tuesday, the Vikings followed with a similar transaction, waiving cornerback Dwight McGlothern with an injury designation and signing cornerback Tre Hawkins.
Hawkins is a former sixth-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has played a total of 21 career games, with his first 20 coming in New York and one game last season with the Washington Commanders. During those games, Hawkins started four of them, recording three passes defended, 45 total tackles, and zero interceptions.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Hawkins has a body type that could intrigue defensive coordinator Brian Flores. That kind of height and length is rare at the cornerback position, and Flores has shown a willingness to maximize those physical tools in his defensive scheme.
The Vikings were always going to move on from McGlothern, who had fallen to the third cornerback on the depth chart. Even so, he was an intriguing player during his time in Minnesota. He played in 15 games across his first two seasons after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas by way of LSU. There was hope that he could develop into something more, especially after his first training camp when he got thrown in with the first team and thrived.
At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, McGlothern had the size profile and length to work with, but he was never able to live up to that potential. He was waived last season before being re-added to the practice squad in November. Moving on from McGlothern is unfortunately the cost of doing business, as Da’Veawn Armstead has likely taken over that role as the developmental undrafted cornerback on the roster.
The Vikings will take on the Denver Broncos on Friday night at 8 p.m. CT.
