Darrius Shepherd, Damion Ratley Signed Practice…

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings on Wednesday announced the addition of two receivers to their practice squad.

Minnesota signed Darrius Shepherd and Damion Ratley to bolster its depth at receiver. The position has been hit hard because of players on the active roster and practice squad landing on Reserve/COVID-19 lists.

Shepherd starred for North Dakota State as the Bison’s leading receiver and punt returner for his final three seasons. Teams that Shepherd was on during his four years of eligibility went 54-5 and won four Division I FCS National Championships.

Shepherd entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay in 2019. He played in 14 games for the Packers from 2019-20, totaling 374 yards on 20 kickoff returns (18.7 per return) and 46 yards on five catches.

In his only game against Minnesota (Nov. 1, 2020), Shepherd caught one pass for a gain of 6 and totaled 53 yards on two kickoff returns.