The Vikings announced on Tuesday that the club has signed tackle Storm Norton to the practice squad and released safety Jack Tocho from the practice squad.
Norton joins the Vikings after spending time on the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals practice squads this season. Norton entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and spent training camp with the Lions. The University of Toledo product played in 38 collegiate games and earned First Team All-Mac honors as well as being named to the AP All-Bowl Team in 2015 after being a key member of an offensive line that allowed just five sacks on 411 passing attempts.
Below is Norton's 2017 Combine scouting overview from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein:
It might surprise some to know that Toledo had the seventh-best offense in the country based on yardage (517.8 per game) and ranked in the top twenty nationally in scoring (38 points per contest). A lot of that had to do with the protection Norton gave to quarterback Logan Woodside and the holes he made for running back Kareem Hunt during the season. He started every game the past two seasons at left tackle, earning first-team All-MAC recognition each season. An all-state pick from Toledo, Norton stayed home and worked hard to get stronger during his first couple of seasons with the Rockets. He played in seven games as a redshirt freshman, and then took over the left tackle spot with three games to go in the 2014 season.
Strengths:
Tall tackle with extremely long legs and arms are well above average for the position at over 35 inches long. Adequate foot quickness in his pass slides. Blocks with good arm extension and utilizes length as a recovery tool when beaten. Better lateral movement than expected. Able to pull and lead block in power. Combo blocks feature strong secure and fluid climb to second level target. Needs more knee bend, but lands at a high rate in space. Mirrors in pass sets with good balance and good posture.
Weaknesses:
Plays from a two-point stance in Toledo offense. Will have to learn to play from three-point stance and fire out of his stance with better bend. Steps are slow and stiff into his first contact. Hands are strong but placement is too wide. Opponents will land first and jolt him due to natural leverage deficiency because of his height. High-cut frame creates anchor imbalance. Below average redirect against inside counters.
NFL Comparison: Pace Murphy
Bottom Line
Towering tackle who operates with adequate body control and balance in both run and pass blocking. Norton gets the most out of his length, but also has the same leverage and anchor issues that almost all tall tackles have. He hasn't faced premier pass rushers or power ends in his conference so projecting him on the next level could be a challenge. If he has enough anchor, he could make an NFL roster.
