Sizing Up Where the Vikings Added New, Young, and Overlooked Talent for Meaty Money
All along, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seemed quite likely to pursue a specific strategy: get aggressive after the draft by welcoming high-end UDFA talent.
The Vikings added several promising players, a predictable outcome that’s nevertheless a reason for optimism. The team had just five draft picks — as you may have heard — so the haul of undrafted talent always seemed like it was going to be ample. After all, the GM has a well-earned reputation for outbidding rivals in this facet of talent acquisition. Specifically, how has that worked out in 2025?
The Vikings Added Several UDFAs for Meaty Money
Credit to Over the Cap, perhaps the leading online authority when it comes to NFL finances.
The site currently puts Minnesota at roughly $14.2 million in cap space (don’t jump into next year’s budget lest you want to inspire some nightmares). Keep in mind that the roster is carrying 91 players, a single player above the normal total due to the international player exemption. Only the top-51 contracts are getting factored into the mix, at least when it comes to the offseason cap space.
Now go ahead and dig down a little deeper. Among the UDFAs, who is getting the most guaranteed money?
Jumping into those precise details guide our understanding of how much competition there was to sign these guys alongside the Vikings’ vigor for adding them. Only players who clear $100,000 in guaranteed money — an arbitrary marker, but one that’s satisfying insofar as it’s a notable benchmark — get included. Check it out.
| Player | Position | Guaranteed Money |
| Batty, Tyler | Edge Rusher | $259,000 |
| Yurosek, Ben | Tight End | $254,000 |
| Vaughn, Zemaiah | Corner | $249,000 |
| Keys, Austin | Linebacker | $249,000 |
| Brown, Logan | Offensive Tackle | $244,000 |
| Brosmer, Max | Quarterback | $244,000 |
| Chambliss, Chaz | Edge Rusher | $220,000 |
| Huber, Joe | Guard | $210,000 |
| Bolden, Silas | Punt Returner | $205,000 |
| Stewart, Tre | Running Back | $160,000 |
| Fleming, Dontae | Receiver | $135,000 |
| Garber, Keenan | Corner | $107,500 |
Just a simple observation: among the roughly twenty UDFAs to be added, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah cleared 100K more than half the time. Doing so signals the GM’s commitment to luring some of the top undrafted talent to town.
Every offseason, the Vikings bring a promising edge rusher to town. In 2022, one thinks of Luiji Vilain. In 2023, one thinks of Andre Carter II. In 2024, one thinks of Gabriel Murphy. Move into 2025 and we’re looking at Tyler Batty, someone with tremendous size. So far, none have had staying power, but the jury is still out on Murphy (which is to say nothing of Bo Richter). Someday, one of these edge rushers is going to really blowup and prove to be a tremendous investment.
There’s then a collection of talent that’s scattered across the roster. We’re talking about pass catchers, corners, offensive linemen, a passer, and even a punt returner (among other positions). All kinds of spots that could reasonably use young talent to shore up the depth.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, for instance, could reasonably opt for Brosmer at QB3 instead of Brett Rypien. Doing so would mean slashing the veteran’s $1,055,000 without there being any dead money. Brosmer then gets to learn, improve, and (ideally) unlock some upside while carrying a smaller cap hit at $843,333 and without the downside of bringing aboard the dead money that would accompany a cut.
The simplest takeaway is that the Vikings added several intriguing players within undrafted free agency. What’s now clear is that many of those players earned strong financial commitments (at least within the world of UDFA money). Even better, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell have proven to be quite willing to keep the undrafted talent around when these players earn their spot.
Looking at the guaranteed money helps to guide us when it comes to seeing who could have a greater shot of sticking around as the offseason competition unfolds.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
The Chip-on-Shoulder Players on Vikings Depth Chart
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
You must be logged in to post a comment.