Reports Of UDFA Signings Begin To Filter In
The moments immediately following the conclusion of the NFL Draft are hectic for undrafted prospects, front offices, agents, and media members alike. Ever since getting duped by reports of LeGarrette Blount signing with the Vikings years ago, I’ve hedged on the side of letting the dust settle before trying to track the signings.
The dust appears (disclosure: the team hasn’t announced anything yet) to have settled this year, and reports from multiple outlets have the Vikings reaching post-Draft agreements with the following rookies:
DAVARIS DANIELS, WR, NOTRE DAME: At 6′ 1″ and 201 pounds, Daniels was a guy on the rise in the Notre Dame system prior to being suspended for an academic honesty scandal. Nothing blows me away about this guy.
JACK SHERLOCK, DL, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: At 6′ 4″ and 240 pounds, Sherlock has the size required to develop into an NFL player of substantial value. He has an uphill climb ahead of him, however, considering the current depth within Mike Zimmer’s defensive line.
TAYLOR HEINICKE, QB, OLD DOMINION: Here’s the developmental quarterback and camp arm that many of you wanted to see the Vikings grab. Heinicke was one of the more impressive players at the East-West Shrine Game practices and could be a fun addition to feed the inevitable preseason hype machine.
ANTHONY HARRIS, FS, VIRGINIA: With a similar build to Trae Waynes (a lean 6′ 1″ and 183 pounds), Harris has proven highly durable and never missed a game due to injury during his college career. His instincts and ball skills certainly make him one of the more intriguing UDFA’s available and now he’s a Viking! He not only has an opportunity to develop, he has the upside to become a true game-changing safety.
JORDAN LESLIE, WR, BYU: At 6′ 3″ and 215 pounds, combined with good straight-line speed, Leslie has all of the physical tools to be a productive NFL receiver. Of course, like so many undrafted wide outs, he really needs to work on his fundamentals and could use some work on the jugs machine.
JUSTIN COLEMAN, CB, TENNESSEE: Coleman should make an NFL roster this fall, whether it is the Vikings or somebody else, based off of his sure-fire tackling abilities alone. He might have to start out as a special teams contributor only, as he could be a liability in coverage versus NFL receivers, but that alone has enough value to keep him around.
GAVIN LUTMAN, WR, PITTSBURGH STATE: At 6′ 3″ and 213 pounds, Lutman’s pro day numbers were every bit as impressive as what DeVante Parker did at the NFL Scouting Combine. Additionally, he was very productive in college, and clearly went undrafted due to know fault of his own… it is just that literally nobody knew who he was, including NFL scouts.
BOBBY VARDARO, OG, BOSTON COLLEGE: A 6′ 4″ offensive lineman that weighs in at about 305 pounds. Vardaro is a left guard by nature and has gained lots of starting experience with Boston College.
TOM FARNIOK, OL IOWA STATE: Known as a smart offensive lineman that made calls and was a leader for Iowa State. He is an undersized but athletic center that is unlikely to dominate too many defensive linemen physically, but does enough things right to make him plenty worth a further look.
Of course, this list has the potential to be outdated or inaccurate very soon, but I’ll do my best to pop back in and make any necessary changes if things change. Let me know in the comments section if you see an update or inaccuracy that I should address.