The NFL Draft is over, but the undrafted free agent signing period can bring in some hidden gems if a team is diligent enough in finding them.
For instance, Kurt Warner, Wes Welker, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Warren Moon, Antonio Gates, and many other great/Hall of Fame-caliber players were UDFAs.
So, while one shouldn't throw a party over a UDFA signing, so to speak, they also shouldn't just brush it off to the side.
Regardless, the Minnesota Vikings' UDFA class of 17 players has a couple of notable names in there, one being Ty James, who was going to sign with the Baltimore Ravens before deciding to join the Vikings.
James is wide receiver out of Mercer and he had a very good career at the Georgia school, recording back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2022 and 2023, and finishing his receiving career with 3,364 yards, 30 touchdowns, and an average of 19.7 yards per catch through 45 games. The Vikings showed interest in him before the draft, as well.
Yes, you read that one number right: James averaged 19.7 yards per catch over the entire course of his career, which is very, very impressive. 20 of his 30 receiving touchdowns came during the last two years of his career, with 13 of the 20 logged in 2022, alone.
Not only is James a deep threat, but he's also a very good athlete, evidenced by his RAS (relative athletic score) of 8.07:
One has to figure that the Ravens' selection Devontez "Tez" Walker in Round 4 of the draft played a part. Walker is a vertical/deep threat - a similar player to that of James. They also have established guys in Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and even Nelson Agholor, whereas the Vikings do have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison - but things get dicey after that.
There's clearly a lot more room for opportunity in Minnesota, so it makes sense why James would choose the Vikings over the Ravens.
Regardless, the Vikings have yet another wideout on their hands that has the potential to be a big-time playmaker. If James can learn to catch the ball away from his body on a more consistent basis, then there's a great chance he makes the roster as he brings size, speed, and major playmaking ability to the Vikings offense.
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