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Nov 9, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn (5) reacts after a sack against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

5 undrafted rookies with the best chance to make the Vikings' roster

Originally posted on Minnesota Vikings on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 4:04 PM ET

The Vikings drafted only five players this year, the first time they've had a class that small since 2009. But they were able to make up for the lack of volume by going all out in college free agency after the draft ended. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company guaranteed nearly $3 million to undrafted rookies, which is far more than usual. Nine different players got over $200K in guarantees to sign with the Vikings — similar amounts to what sixth-rounders Gavin Bartholomew and Kobe King received.

It's a UDFA class that, on paper, might be the best in the NFL. A good handful of these undrafted guys will have a real chance to make the Vikings' 53-man roster if they play well during training camp and preseason action later this summer. Here are the five we think have the best shot:

Zemaiah Vaughn, CB, Utah

Guaranteed money: $249,000

Vaughn is a long, slender cornerback who stands nearly 6'3" and is an explosive athlete. He ran a 4.45 40 and posted great numbers in the jumps (though his agility testing wasn't great). A five-year player at Utah, Vaughn had five pass breakups, a forced fumble, a pick-six, two sacks, and five total tackles for loss last season. He hit the ground running with the Vikings during the offseason program, breaking up several passes in 7-on-7 action at practices open to the media. With corner being a question mark in Minnesota, Vaughn certainly has a path to making the roster.

Tyler Batty, OLB, BYU

Guaranteed money: $259,000

Batty, who got more money than any other Vikings UDFA this year, is about as NFL-ready as they come, considering he just turned 26 years old. After a two-year mission in Spain, he played five seasons for the Cougars, recording 16.5 sacks and 34 total TFL. He also had two interceptions last season. Batty is a big, strong edge defender with some burst and a high motor. He's listed as an outside linebacker, but he could also play with his hand in the dirt on the defensive line. Can he beat out someone like Bo Richter or Gabriel Murphy for a roster spot?

Silas Bolden, WR, Texas

Guaranteed money: $205,000

Don't think of Bolden as a wide receiver; his path to a roster spot is all about what he can do as a return specialist. He's not even a full 5'8" and is just over 160 pounds, making him a tiny NFL player. But he's got some acceleration juice and the ability to make people miss with the ball in his hands. Bolden, who spent four years at Oregon State and one year at Texas, returned a punt for a touchdown in each of the last two seasons, notably taking one to the house for the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff. He was also a big-time kick returner for the Beavers. Bolden did have 830 yards from scrimmage in 2023, but it seems pretty clear what his NFL role would be.

Ben Yurosek, TE, Georgia

Guaranteed money: $254,000

Yurosek wasn't drafted, but he got more guaranteed money than Bartholomew, the tight end the Vikings selected in the sixth round. He's a slightly strange statistical case in that his most productive year (658 receiving yards) came back in 2021 with Stanford, his first real season of college football. Yurosek transferred to Georgia last season and had just 15 catches. Nonetheless, he's a 6'4" tight end with 4.64 speed and an elite ten-yard split for the position. With Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse gone, Yurosek will have every opportunity to compete with Bartholomew and fellow UDFA Bryson Nesbit for the Vikings' TE3 job.

Logan Brown, OL, Kansas

Guaranteed money: $244,000

Some media draft boards had Brown as a possible fourth-round pick. As the No. 1 offensive tackle recruit in the high school class of 2019 (ahead of future top-ten picks Charles Cross, Darnell Wright, and Evan Neal), things didn't go to plan for Brown in college. He began his career at Wisconsin but was dismissed from the program after an "internal incident" in 2022. Brown spent the last two seasons at Kansas. He's 6'6" with long arms and is a big-time athlete who could be a steal for the Vikings with some continued development of his technique. He'll look to beat out former sixth-rounder Walter Rouse for a roster spot.

Five more to keep in mind: