NFL draft analyst Todd McShay was singing rookie running back Ty Chandler’s praises the moment his name came off the board after being selected with the No. 169 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
“I love this guy—one of my favorite players in the entire draft class,” McShay said on the live broadcast draft panel at the 2022 NFL draft. “I’m surprised he’s at pick five, and I would say congratulations, Minnesota, you’ve got a starting running back. But they’ve already got a pretty good one in Dalvin Cook. So, a great backup—let’s put it that way.”
McShay has been calling Chandler a future steal for months.
North Carolina RB Ty Chandler is an underrated back with speed and contact balance as a runner, toughness in pass pro and legitimate downfield pass-catching ability. Some team could get a steal on Day 3 with Chandler. pic.twitter.com/esTCb6sZSA
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) February 28, 2022
It makes sense considering Chandler has playmaker written all over him after clocking a 4.38 40-yard dash time. The ability to shake defenders out of their shoes is there, along with the versatility of being both a runner and a receiver on the field.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell could let his offensive creativity run wild with a player like Chandler in the backfield.
The best part about the situation is the fact that the young running back will have time to develop. Dalvin Cook is the runaway starter right now in Minnesota, and Alexander Mattison, who is playing on an expiring contract, is one of the best backups in the league.
At the very least, Chandler could be coached up as the next player to fill the void if Mattison leaves next year. Depending on his development, he could be someone to potentially supplant Cook if the “win-now” effort fails, and the Vikings are forced to hit the reboot button. That could lead to them parting ways with many fan favorites, including Cook.
The Vikings were going to have to address running back at some point, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked the board to get a player with the sort of game-breaking speed that gives defensive coordinators cold sweats at night.
Chandler’s only hang-up coming into this year’s draft is the fact that he was part of a running back committee at Tennessee before transferring to North Carolina. However, as a Tar Heel, he was finally unleashed in his last college season for 1,092 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
This is one of those picks that could be looked back on one day as a major steal for the Vikings.
