Vikings Audition Intriguing New Playmaker
The Minnesota Vikings’ preseason begins in five days, a showdown with the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium, and to keep options open, the club auditioned a fascinating playmaker over the weekend.
The Vikings recently worked out a new tight end, a former Titans UDFA and UFL standout. Could the summer addition bring a surprise spark to the purple team?
He’s Steven Stilianos of recent UFL fame, notable because he’s a tight end from the University of Iowa, the gold standard school at the position.
It is unclear if Stilianos will transfer the workout into a roster spot, but here’s the skinny on Stilianos.
A New TE Enters the Chat for Vikings via Summer Tryout
The team could add another tight end for preseason depth purposes.
Vikings Tryout TE Steven Stilianos
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted Sunday evening, “The Vikings worked out tight end Steven Stilianos per league source after a recent workout with the Bills. An NFL San Antonio Brahmas Sportsman of the Year nominee and former #Titans rookie free agent.”
Most fans thought the tight end room was set, but the Stilianos audition pumps the brakes on that theory.
Who is Steven Stilianos?
Stilianos was an undrafted free agent during the 2024 NFL Draft process, latching onto the Tennessee Titans’ summer roster. The 6’5″ pass-catcher didn’t make the cut on the regular season roster in Tennessee but later tried on the UFL for size, nominated for Sportsman of the Year, as mentioned by Wilson.
In San Antonio, Stilianos caught 15 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, a low stat total. As a senior at Iowa, he grabbed 8 receptions for 96 yards before turning pro.
Stilianos also worked out for the Buffalo Bills last month, though no contract materialized.
The TE Group As-Is
Here’s the Vikings’ TE unit sans Stilianos:
- T.J. Hockenson
- Josh Oliver
- Ben Yurosek
- Gavin Bartholomew (PUP List)
- Bryson Nesbit
- Giovanni Ricci
Minnesota added Ricci about a week ago, and even that move turned heads, as most onlookers believed the TE room was full.
The Vikings could also consider a seasoned veteran tight end from the open market if the TE depth chart needs some love. Men like Gerald Everett, C.J. Uzomah, Hayden Hurst, and Nick Vannett have not signed with new teams this spring or summer.
The T.J. Hockenson Moment
At Vikings training camp on Saturday, Hockenson, the unabashed TE1, came up hobbled after a play, which was later revealed as a groin tweak. There’s no reason to believe that the injury will turn into a long-term ordeal, but giving Stilianos a look could imply that Minnesota needs bodies for the preseason and its upcoming joint practices with the New England Patriots.
Hockenson tore his ACL in December 2023, battling back to the lineup in October 2024, so anytime he’s injured at all, the masses hold their breath.
On the whole, Hockenson should be fine, and Stilianos is not a replacement for him. It’s worth noting, though, that both attended the University of Iowa.
More On Stilianos
USA Today‘s Craig Meyer wrote about Stilianos a couple of years ago, “Despite now being the starting tight end of a Power Five program — particularly one with a 6-1 record and No. 23 ranking in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll — Stilianos did not receive a rating from either 247Sports or the website’s composite ranking.”
“Coming out of high school, he committed to play at Lafayette, an FCS school in Easton, Pennsylvania. At the Christchurch School (a boarding school in Christchurch, Virginia), the Hayes, Virginia native was a unanimous first-team all-state selection as a defensive lineman and a second-team all-state honoree as a quarterback.”
Stilianos is 25 and is from Virginia.
Meyer added, “Per his Iowa player bio, Stilianos recorded 53 tackles, including eight sacks, as a senior. Offensively, he threw for 889 yards and 11 touchdowns that season while rushing for an additional 827 yards and six touchdowns.”
“Over the course of his career at the school, he had 1,836 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, 1,324 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns (while averaging 7.8 yards per carry), and 121 tackles and 12 sacks. Additionally, he was a two-year captain for the school’s basketball team.”
If Stilianos parlays his tryout into a contract, he likely has a practice squad ceiling in 2025.
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