The Intriguing Battle of the Undrafted Vikings EDGE Defenders
The strength of the Vikings’ defense is on the edge, with a couple of 2024 Pro Bowlers as starters and a 2024 first-round pick backing them. Somewhat unusually, there is a group of five undrafted Vikings behind them. They have things set up for an intriguing camp battle as Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell, and Brian Flores look to whittle down their roster to a final 53.
The Intriguing Battle of the Undrafted Vikings EDGE Defenders
There will likely be five spaces on the Vikings roster for outside linebackers, and Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner will take up three of them. The other two are up for grabs and will be competed for by five players who all went undrafted. Adofo-Mensah has garnered a reputation for identifying and signing good undrafted free agents who go on to make the roster. Ivan Pace is the big success story, but there have been several others since the Vikings’ general manager took office.
Two edge defenders found their way from being undrafted to getting on the field for the Vikings last season. They were Bo Richter and Gabriel Murphy, with 2023 undrafted rookie Andre Carter losing out. Murphy came with more hype as a possible steal for the Vikings, but he only played in two games late after starting the season on Injured Reserve.
Richter, on the other hand, made a name for himself on special teams, playing in 14 games and every game after the Week 6 bye. He also got on the field for 29 defensive snaps, making eight tackles and grabbing a fumble recovery. Murphy and Richter will be looking to put forward their case for making the Vikings’ final 53-man roster.
The Class of 2025
Looking to gate crash the party for Richter and Murphy are some more undrafted free agents. The undrafted class of 2025 includes three more linebackers: Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss, and Matt Harmon. Of those three, it is Batty who is being perceived as the one who could make his mark and force his way onto the roster. Pro Football Focus chose the BYU alumnus as their Vikings undrafted free agent to watch.
Here is what PFF said about Batty and why he has a chance of making the roster in Minnesota.
The Vikings appear flush with defensive line talent and drafted edge defender Dallas Turner in the first round a year ago. There still may be room for a talented UDFA such as Batty to crack the roster or practice squad, though.
Batty posted a solid 13.5% pass-rush win rate and earned a 76th-percentile PFF run-defense grade in 2024. His undrafted status was surprising, considering he ranked 116th on PFF’s big board and racked up 143 quarterback pressures during his college career.
One intriguing factor is the nature of this camp battle, which won’t be biased by draft stock, big money on a contract, or even big money savings to be made. All five players are coming from the same place, and nothing but ability will be a doctor as coach Flores casts his eye over them during the preseason. It has the potential to be fun to watch as we see how things unfold.
At this early stage, I would expect Richter’s special teams value to get him a spot on the roster. After that, the battle between Murphy and Batty can potentially be one of the more interesting preseason stories.
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