You know you’re a real fan if you follow an NFL team’s undrafted free-agent signings. These players are long shots to make the team, but when they do, it’s special.
Ivan Pace Jr. is a perfect example. The Minnesota Vikings prioritized him after last year’s draft and sold him on the opportunity and scheme fit. Pace accepted the guaranteed money and showed up, and there was an immediate buzz among the players and coaches.
Advertisement
With that arc in mind, let’s look at this year’s 17 undrafted free-agent signings.
Multiple scouts offered their thoughts on the Vikings’ additions, beginning with arguably the most sought-after undrafted option:
LIVE: GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recaps the 2024 #VikingsDraft
💻: https://t.co/Wz1CLiNRdE https://t.co/02xq3Y0Y6V
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 27, 2024
Gabriel Murphy, Edge, UCLA
The production is undeniable. Murphy had 61 quarterback pressures in 2023, which ranked ninth among 390 defenders who rushed the passer at least 200 times.
Explosiveness isn’t a problem, either. Murphy leaped 39 1/2 inches at the combine. The only edge rusher to top that? Alabama’s Dallas Turner, whom Minnesota selected with the No. 17 pick. His 4.68-second 40-yard dash put him in the elite athlete tier as well.
So, how does that type of player go undrafted? Measurables, most likely. Like Pace last year, Murphy (6 feet 2, 247 pounds) does not have prototypical size for an edge rusher. His arm length (30 1/2 inches) is notably shorter than most NFL teams look for at the position (around 33 inches).
Ultimately, Murphy signed with Minnesota for two reasons: the team’s history with Pace and the lack of depth at edge rusher. The Vikings revamped the position group with Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Turner, but Patrick Jones II is the only depth edge likely to stick around. Considering defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ willingness to treat every member in training camp the same, no matter when (or if) they were drafted, Murphy has a solid shot at making the team.
GO DEEPER
Vikings 2024 NFL Draft takeaways: Best value pick, biggest surprise and what's next
Dwight McGlothern Jr., CB, Arkansas
Another undrafted favorite is McGlothern, whom The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected as a fifth- or sixth-round talent.
McGlothern is a tall, instinctive cornerback who is best suited for the outside. The Vikings added Shaq Griffin in free agency and Khyree Jackson in the fourth round, but depth is still necessary, and McGlothern will step in and compete alongside Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr.
Advertisement
The 22-year-old began his collegiate career at LSU, then earned All-SEC honors at Arkansas in 2022. He allowed just one catch of more than 15 yards last season, which explains why Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 1 cover corner in college football among 370 defenders who participated in at least 200 snaps.
His athletic traits are likely why he went undrafted. His 32-inch vertical hovers beneath teams’ preference for the position, but McGlothern’s instincts might paper over the lack of burst.
Owen Porter, Edge, Marshall
If you’re looking for a special teams sleeper similar to NaJee Thompson last year, Porter is someone to watch.
Coaches and teammates at Marshall adored him. He flew around defensively, blocked offensively in the red zone and bashed his way all over the field on special teams. The Thundering Herd named him their MVP last season.
Only Porter’s bench-press reps (30) stand out from an athleticism standpoint, but special teams are about want-to as much as anything else, and Porter has it.
Bo Richter, Edge, Air Force
According to Pro Football Focus, only two edge rushers in the country posted a higher pass-rush win rate than Richter in 2023. The win rate resulted in pressure, too. Richter tallied nine sacks, nine hits and 37 hurries. His 55 pressures ranked 14th among 196 edge rushers who went after the quarterback on at least 200 snaps.
His 6-foot frame and 30 5/8-inch arms might have limited the NFL interest, but coaches constantly talk about how hard a pass-rush skill set is to develop, and Richter — the nephew of longtime NFL quarterback Kent Graham — is ahead of the curve.
Ty James, WR, Mercer
More than 450 receivers in college football (FBS and FCS) were targeted at least 50 times last season. PFF graded all of them, and James ranked eighth. He caught 63 passes for 1,138 yards and seven touchdowns at Mercer after amassing more than 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns the year before. James is like seventh-round pick Levi Drake Rodriguez: an interesting find by the Vikings staff. Observing him alongside the team’s elite wideouts will be fun.
GO DEEPER
Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft picks 2024: Grades, fits and scouting reports
Doug Nester, OL, West Virginia
The Vikings supplemented their guard depth with Wake Forest’s Michael Jurgens in the seventh round, but Nester is another intriguing option. He played 41 games at right guard in college. He also has tackle experience. Nester ranked 59th among 491 offensive linemen in pass-blocking grade last season, according to PFF. His athleticism should help him vie for a depth role during training camp.
Advertisement
Taki Taimani, DL, Oregon
Taimani is in the mold of Jonathan Bullard or Khyiris Tonga. He is massive at 6-1, 309 pounds, and he is a run stopper. The Vikings had a scouting advantage at Oregon, too, given that A’lique Terry, Oregon’s offensive line coach, was a Vikings defensive assistant in 2022.
Dallas Gant, LB, Toledo
Gant has an interesting pedigree. A four-star recruit, he began his college career at Ohio State. Limited snaps resulted in a transfer to Toledo, and he led the Rockets in tackles in 2022 and 2023, earning first-team All-MAC honors in both seasons. He is long and athletic, and his 791 special teams snaps make him an intriguing option at the back end of the roster.
Trey Knox, TE, South Carolina
Knox is a bet on an outlier measurable: his above-average-sized 34 1/4-inch arms. His longest catch in 2023 was 23 yards, and he is not a special run blocker. But he is a ball of clay for tight ends coach Brian Angelichio to mold.
Devron Harper, WR, Mercer
If Minnesota wants a new returner, Harper is an option. He is in the Brandon Powell mold (and also caught a Mercer-record 78 passes this season), having led the Southern Conference with 29.1 yards per kick return in 2023.
K.J. Cloyd, LB, Miami
The Vikings’ off-ball linebackers room is interesting. Pace, Blake Cashman and Kamu Grugier-Hill are sure-fire roster inclusions. Brian Asamoah II will have an opportunity to show growth (and consistent health). Beyond that, though, competition abounds, and Cloyd, who played at Louisville and Miami, is in the mix.
GO DEEPER
Beat writers’ favorite 2024 NFL Draft picks: One player for every team
Donovan Manuel, LB, FIU
A teammate said of Manuel: “Donovan is the only man that I know who can go to bed, drink almost half a gallon of lemonade and is not cramping when he goes out there and will have a 15-plus-tackle game and, like, three TFLs.”
From here on out, we will be calling him “Lemonade.”
Tyler Manoa, DL, Arizona
Manoa is another run-stuffing defensive tackle who began his career at UCLA and has experience playing alongside Murphy.
Advertisement
Jeshaun Jones, WR, Maryland
Jones has an uphill battle to make the team with the Vikings’ depth at receiver. He caught 57 passes for 800 yards this past season but had been in college since 2018.
Jeremy Flax, OL, Kentucky
Flax is similar to Nester. He started at right tackle the past two years, but right guard might be his best spot. Add him to the offensive line depth for rookie minicamp.
Spencer Rolland, OL, North Carolina
Rolland began his college career at Harvard, transferred to North Carolina and started all 13 games last season in front of Drake Maye. The Vikings offense differs vastly from UNC’s system, but Rolland’s smarts should help him stay afloat.
Matt Cindric, OL, California
Cindric is another interior offensive line option. He started 17 games at center and another 17 at right guard. His teammates at Cal loved him, voting him a team captain twice. He’s another older player who should be easy for offensive line coach Chris Kuper to work with.
(Photo of Gabriel Murphy: Don Liebig / ASUCLA Photography)
