Under the Radar Vikings Pass Catcher Appears to be in Pole Position for an Open Job
Stepping into Johnny Mundt’s shoes isn’t going to be easy. Not in the Twin Cities.
On various occasions, Kevin O’Connell was sure to articulate his respect for the team’s former TE2/3. Mundt could be asked to do a bit of everything, doing so at a reasonably high level (and for cheap). Does an under-the-radar Vikings pass catcher get tossed into that job by the time Week 1 of the 2025 season arrives?
Ben Yurosek: Vikings Pass Catcher Pushing for the 53
At first, Gavin Bartholomew was expected to earn the job. He was, after all, the draft pick, the one who was chosen at No. 202 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The issue is that the Pittsburgh alumnus has been battling through a back injury, one that hasn’t allowed him to jump into training camp. Making the final roster as a 6th Round selection always presents its challenges. Doing so as someone who can’t step onto the field to compete is even more of a challenge.
Enter Ben Yurosek, someone who was a priority to bring in after the draft.
The tight end coming out of Georgia landed a pretty meaty deal to call Minnesota home. The basic details of his contract — a trio of seasons sitting at $2.985 million — are pretty standard. Take a look under the hood, though, and things get a bit more interesting. Yurosek landed $254,000 in guaranteed money, a strong amount.
Check out what Kevin O’Connell had to say about his tight end on Monday.
O’Connell’s thoughts: “I showed the team the other day just to highlight Ben [Yurosek] going against Dallas [Turner], who’s having a really good camp on the edge.” The head coach thinks that Yurosek executed “the toughest block in football” within the wide zone run, praising the rookie for “a true pro NFL rep.”
When an undrafted player gets his highlight shown to the entire team — one that involves blocking a 1st-Round player who is stepping into a major role — then it’s a good thing for that player’s chances of making the final roster.
The Vikings list Ben Yurosek at 6’4″ and 245 pounds, which is pretty standard size for the position. Neither large nor small. What shines through in O’Connell’s answer is just the praise for Yurosek’s effort, professionalism, technique, and physicality. Pretty good way to endear oneself to a coach.
Last season, Yurosek played in fourteen games at Georgia. The stats are, in a word, modest. He had 15 catches go for 185 yards. He had zero touchdowns, but an optimist would point toward the healthy 12.3 yards-per-reception average as reason to think there’s room for him to help as a pass catcher.
Truth be told, folks, the Vikings don’t need a ton of help when it comes to catching passes. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones are all being employed to offer that ability. Being a versatile player who can offer some blocking snarl? Now that’s where Ben Yurosek can add value.
No, nothing is set in stone. There’s a long way to go and much that needs to happen before final decisions are made. The thoughts from O’Connell, though, do reveal that Yurosek has left a strong impression on the coaching staff.
The Vikings pass catcher is 23 years old. Keep an eye on #48 when the preseason gets going.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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