The Vikings owned the NFL’s smallest draft class with only five selections this year, so naturally, they added a good amount of undrafted free agents to form a 24-man rookie class. Here are the 19 UDFAs the team signed:
- Tyler Batty, OLB (BYU)
- Silas Bolden, WR (Texas)
- Max Brosmer, QB (Minnesota)(post)
- Logan Brown, T (Kansas)
- Chaz Chambliss, OLB (Georgia)
- Oscar Chapman, P (Auburn)
- Zeke Correll, C (NC State)
- Dontae Fleming, WR (Tulane)
- Keenan Garber, CB (Kansas State)
- Joe Huber, G (Wisconsin)
- Austin Keys, LB (Auburn)
- Robert Lewis, WR (Auburn)
- Dorian Mausi, LB (Auburn)
- Bryson Nesbit, TE (North Carolina)
- Mishael Powell, S (Miami)
- Tre Stewart, RB (Jacksonville State)
- Zemaiah Vaughn, CB (Utah)
- Alex Williams, DE (Middle Tennessee State)
- Ben Yurosek, TE (Georgia)
An undersized runner, Stewart had an incredible year for the Gamecocks. In fact, with 1,678 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns in 2024, Stewart joined top ten pick Ashton Jeanty as the only two FBS backs with over 1,600 yards and 25 scores on the ground.
After two strong years at Oregon State, Bolden wasn’t very productive as a receiver for the Longhorns. He was extremely productive, though, as a punt returner, notching 315 yards on 30 returns and scoring a touchdown. His return abilities netted him $205K in guaranteed money on his UDFA contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Brown is a surprising get post-draft, considering he was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection. Likely a significant injury history kept him available to this point. Huber was another likely Day 3 selection. He started 13 games at right tackle at Cincinnati before transferring and shifting inside. He started as left guard in 2023 and right guard in 2024 for the Badgers. Despite only playing offensive line since 2019, Huber’s versatility was able to net him $210K guaranteed on his UDFA deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Chambliss was impressive in his final season at Georgia with 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, but his route to a 53-man roster will likely have to come through special teams contributions. Impressive length and production should give Vaughn a chance at the opening day roster. In five years at Utah (one redshirt season), Vaughn tallied 27 passes defensed, three interceptions, three sacks, and 14.0 tackles for loss.
Considering that the team completely ignored the secondary in the draft, more emphasis should have been placed on adding help at CB and S as opposed to signing UDFA’ s that will be no more than training camp fodder with no chance in hell of making the team roster or Practice Squad unless hell freezes over.
Teams carry a 90 man roster in the offseason. Every team needs to sign guys who aren’t going to make the week 1 roster.
My favorite active player Adam Thielen was a terrific UDFA for the Vikings. There was also a guy named John Randle who managed to get himself inducted into the HOF.
I did not state that the 2025 UDFA’s had ZERO chance of making the team or the Practice Squad, only that little attention was given to the secondary. Only that some of the 19 signees had ZERO chance. I’d say Yurosek has a better chance of making the roster at TE than Bartholomew who will probably go the Practice Squad to work on his blocking. CB Vaughn also may have a chance.
In fact, the only one of their 5 draft choices who will make the roster is Jackson, unless he is the next “Wyatt Davis” out of Ohio State. If that is the case, the entire draft and UDFA process was just a monumental waste of time.