Brandon Powell (born September 12, 1995) is an American professional football wide receiver and punt returner for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. He has been a member of the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and the Los Angeles Rams.

Brandon Powell
refer to caption
Powell in 2022
No. 4 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:Wide receiver / Punt returner
Personal information
Born: (1995-09-12) September 12, 1995 (age 29)
Deerfield Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight:181 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school:Deerfield Beach (FL)
College:Florida (2014–2017)
Undrafted:2018
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2024
Receptions:79
Receiving yards:707
Rushing yards:108
Return yards:2,009
Total touchdowns:4
Stats at Pro Football Reference

College career

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Powell entered the Florida football program out of Deerfield Beach High School as a four-star recruit and was ranked 267th overall in the ESPN 300 and was also the 34th ranked athlete in the 2014 recruiting class. Brandon began his collegiate career as a running back at Florida. He later switched to wide receiver his sophomore year. During his freshman season, he caught 15 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown. As a sophomore, Powell caught 29 passes for 390 yards and three touchdowns, including a career long 77 yard score against Ole Miss. As a junior, he had 45 receptions for 387 yards and 2 touchdowns. During his senior year, Powell had a team high 42 receptions for 406 yards and 3 touchdowns.[1]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
5 ft 8 in
(1.73 m)
181 lb
(82 kg)
29 14 in
(0.74 m)
8 78 in
(0.23 m)
4.59 s 1.60 s 2.70 s 4.15 s 6.88 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)
All values from Pro Day[2]

Detroit Lions

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Powell signed for the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2018.[3] On December 30, Powell started in place of Kenny Golladay and caught six passes for 103 yards against the Green Bay Packers.[4]

On August 31, 2019, Powell was waived by the Lions.[5]

Atlanta Falcons

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On September 2, 2019, Powell was signed to the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons.[6] On November 5, 2019, Powell was promoted to the active roster.[7]

Buffalo Bills

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Powell signed with the Buffalo Bills on a one-year contract on March 26, 2021.[8] He was released on August 30, 2021.[9]

Miami Dolphins

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On September 2, 2021, Powell was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad. He was released on October 12.[10]

Los Angeles Rams

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On November 4, 2021, Powell was signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad.[11] On December 26, 2021, in a game against the Minnesota Vikings, Powell returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown that was key in the Rams' victory, ensuring a playoff berth for the team. He was named National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his NFL career for his performance.[12][13] Powell won Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals.[14]

On March 19, 2022, Powell re-signed with the Rams on a one-year deal.[15]

Minnesota Vikings

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On March 22, 2023, Powell signed with the Vikings.[16] He served as the team's primary punt returner in 2023 and also put up career receiving numbers with 29 catches for 324 yards and one touchdown.[17]

On March 12, 2024, Powell signed a one-year contract extension with the Vikings.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Brandon Powell Stats". ESPN. April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "2018 NFL Draft Scout Brandon Powell College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  3. ^ "Lions sign five 2018 NFL Draft picks and 16 undrafted rookie free agents". DetroitLions.com. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Birkett, Dave (December 31, 2018). "Detroit Lions stock watch: Powell, Zenner close 2018 on good note". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  5. ^ "Detroit Lions establish 53-man roster". DetroitLions.com. August 31, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  6. ^ McFadden, Will (September 2, 2019). "Falcons add two practice squad players and fullback, Ricky Ortiz waived". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  7. ^ McFadden, Will (November 5, 2019). "Falcons promote receiver Brandon Powell to active roster". AtlantaFalcons.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Glab, Maddy (March 26, 2021). "Bills sign wide receiver/returner Brandon Powell". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "Bills release three players". www.buffalobills.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "Roster Moves: Miami Dolphins Make Practice Squad Transactions". MiamiDolphins.com. October 12, 2021. Archived from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Carlin, Skyler (November 4, 2021). "Rams add WR Brandon Powell and RB Mekhi Sargent to practice squad". Rams Wire. USA Today. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Brandon Powell Scores on 61 Yard Punt Return". Local Sports News. ABC 7 Los Angeles. December 26, 2021.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "Brandon Powell Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week". Rams Digest. Sports Illustrated. December 29, 2021.
  14. ^ Schwartz, Paul (February 13, 2021). "LA Rams defeat Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl 2022". nypost.com.
  15. ^ Jackson, Stu (March 19, 2022). "Rams, Brandon Powell agree to terms on one-year deal". TheRams.com. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Lindsey, Lindsey; Peters, Craig (March 22, 2023). "Vikings Agree to Terms with Troy Reeder & Brandon Powell". Vikings.com. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  17. ^ "Brandon Powell 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  18. ^ Young, Lindsey (March 12, 2024). "Vikings Agree to Terms with WR Brandon Powell". Vikings.com.
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