Vikings Finalize 2026 UDFA Class. Get to Know ‘Em.
The Minnesota Vikings selected nine picks in this year’s NFL Draft. In recent years, they have dominated the UDFA sweepstakes, securing several fascinating players after the conclusion of the three-day event. Multiple undrafted rookies have played a role in their debut seasons under Kevin O’Connell.
This year, they once again acquired some guys who hope to go the same route. There are 19 of them.
Running Back
- Kejon Owens (Florida International)
Against Conference USA competition, Owens registered 1,334 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season. At 5’11” and 210 lbs, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. As he’s not a big-play machine, he needs to show efficiency on the ground to establish himself at the next level.
Wide Receiver
- Dillon Bell (Georgia)
- Shaleak Knotts (Maryland)
- Marcus Sanders, Jr. (Georgia Southern)
- Luke Wysong (Arizona)
A whopping four wide receivers joined the club as undrafted rookies.
The most prominent is Dillon Bell, who was a do-it-all weapon at Georgia. Throughout his career, he caught 119 passes, rushed 51 times and even attempted three passes. He ran a 4.5 40-yard dash. His path to an NFL role is as a gadget player. The Vikings have lacked yards-after-catch expertise in recent years. He needs to prove he can be a lite version of Deebo Samuel.
Maryland receiver Knotts reunites with college teammate Tai Felton, who was Minnesota’s third-round choice in 2025. Knotts emerged after Felton’s exit with 717 yards and six scores, both more than in his previous three campaigns combined. He’s a tall speedster, running 40 yards in the 4.3s at 6’3″.
Sanders Jr. is also coming off a breakout season at Georgia Southern, collecting 797 yards and five scores in 2025. Just like Knotts’ explosion, it was also more output than in his first three seasons combined. He also offers some yards-after-catch potential, but needs to improve as a route-runner.
Finally, there’s Wysong. After four seasons at New Mexico, he became a depth receiver at Arizona, recording 278 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. He needs to win competitions on special teams. He has two punt return touchdowns on his college resume and has returned both kickoffs and punts in his career.
Offensive Line
- Tristan Leigh (Clemson)
- Delby Lemieux (Dartmouth)
- Tomas Rimac (Virginia Tech)
A former five-star recruit, Leigh was a three-year starter at Clemson, playing mostly left tackle. He’s a decent athlete, but needs technical refinement and work on his consistency. Leigh offers intriguing traits, but tackle is a crowded room in Minnesota.
Dartmouth product Lemieux played tackle in college, but got some reps at center at the Senior Bowl. He’s another good athlete with the requisite movement skills, but needs to add weight to have a chance at the next level.
From the undersized blocker, we pivot to a huge guard in Rimac, who’s 6’6″ and 318 lbs. He’s another smooth mover, whose athletic profile is among the best in this year’s draft class.
Defensive Line
- Monkell Goodwine (South Carolina)
A former Alabama recruit, Goodwine transferred to South Carolina after three seasons as a reserve player. He was a rotational player for two years at South Carolina, with limited production. Undrafted defensive linemen have made noise in recent years, but the Vikings invested in the position in the draft.
EDGE
- Jordan Botelho (Notre Dame)
- Cam’Ron Stewart (Temple)
- Arden Walker (Colorado)
This one is a concerning position with a lack of depth on the roster. These guys have a chance.
Botelho spent six years at Notre Dame, snagging 12.5 sacks in 62 games. He’s a high-energy player, but his athletic profile will make it hard for him to make an impact in training camp. Likely needs to shine on special teams.
Stewart is one of the more prominent players on this list who could’ve been drafted. After three unproductive years at Rutgers, he found his footing at Temple, recording 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2025. His pressure numbers were elite last season. The most explosive athlete of the trio.
Walker recorded a total of seven sacks and 79 tackles over the last two seasons at Colorado. Also needs to show some potential on special teams.
Linebacker
- Keli Lawson (UCF)
- Scooby Williams (Texas A&M)
At 6’6″, Lawson is a unicorn at the off-ball linebacker position. After four years at Virginia Tech, he played his final college season at UCF. He was a productive player at both stops, generating 178 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his career.
Williams is another explosive player, showing his speed with a 4.48 40-yard dash. He gained weight after his performance at the scouting combine. The linebacker produced 132 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss in college and has the athleticism to stand out in the summer.
Cornerback
- Marcus Allen (North Carolina)
- Da’Veawn Armstead (North Texas)
- Tyreek Chappell (Texas A&M)
A three-year starter at North Carolina, Allen was viewed as a late-round draft pick. At nearly 6’2″, he possesses intriguing length. That and his experience are his calling cards,
Armstead had an eventful college journey, starting at Texas Christian, through Sam Houston and finally, North Texas. He’s a plus athlete at the position, coming off a season with two picks, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
Chappell is an undersized but aggressive corner who gained a ton of experience in his five years at Texas A&M. He made 132 tackles in 48 career games.
Safety
- Jacob Thomas (James Madison)
Thomas tabulated 199 tackles, five interceptions, and 2.5 sacks in four seasons at James Madison. He is a versatile safety with intriguing athleticism, putting him in late-round conversations ahead of the draft. Thomas is the kind of player that Flores picks up and then puts in a position to succeed.
Punter
- Brett Thorson (Georgia)
Thorson might be the most popular player on the list, which is rare for punters. The Aussie won the Ray Guy award for the nation’s best punter at Georgia and was expected to be drafted. The Vikings got him as an undrafted player, and he can challenge Johnny Hekker this summer.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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