Undrafted Viking Gains Traction and Seizes Spotlight
Last year, it was Ivan Pace Jr. as the undrafted free agent who stole the show in the summer and later the regular season. In 2024, it was supposed to be UDFA EDGE rusher Gabriel Murphy from UCLA.
Undrafted Viking Gains Traction and Seizes Spotlight
But with Murphy hobbled by injury and making little impact the summer, Air Force’s Bo Richter has grabbed headlines — so much so that he could be trending toward a roster spot when the regular season depth chart is released in seven days.
Richter played like a madman in Minnesota’s first two preseason games — enough that it might seem like a mockery to let him hit the practice squad. Another team could easily steal him. Many believed Murphy would land a roster spot, but Richter appears to have stolen the show on the UDFA front.
The new Viking has logged a couple of sacks in preseason games versus the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns, splash plays that stood off the page. Before the showdown with the Raiders, most of the casual Vikings fanbase had no idea what a “Bo Richter” was — until he tabulated 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a QB hit, and a sack against Las Vegas.
Then, he followed up that performance in Cleveland with another sack and generally flew all over the field. He may be on the roster bubble because the EDGE room is deep, but fans are rapidly warming up to the idea of Richter available on gamedays in 2024.
Some Vikings analysts chirped about Richter possibly making the 53-man roster earlier this summer, and he has more than looked the part since. He’s played wonderfully in the last two weeks and seems like the type of contributor Brian Flores would retain for the regular season.
For context, Richter basically needs to make it into the Top 5 of this list:
- Jonathan Greenard
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Dallas Turner
- Patrick Jones II
- Bo Richter
- Gabriel Murphy
- Jihad Ward
- Owen Porter
- Andre Carter II
Otherwise, Minnesota could, in theory, keep six outside linebackers, and the problem would be solved regarding Richter’s regular season roster positioning.
Back in early June, VikingsTerritory asked its roster of writers to pick a surprise player who could make the 53-man roster this season. Josh Frey nominated Richter and wrote, “Richter was among the most productive pass rushers in college football last year. The Vikings have acquired oodles of talent at that spot over the past couple of months, but even still, Richter will find a way to stand out in camp.”
The knock on Richter? It’s a familiar story, and the aforementioned Pace Jr. can tell you all about it. Scouts claimed he was “undersized” at 6’1″ and 248 pounds — a height and weight more aligned with an off-ball linebacker, not an EDGE.
But the Vikings have shown they don’t mind smaller defenders, and if Richter makes the active roster, he has a chance to be the next success story.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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