Which undrafted rookie has the best chance at making the final 53?
It looks like it is might be better to be undrafted than get selected in the 6th through 7th rounds.
Walter Rouse who was pick #177 received a $226,592 signing bonus and that is all that was gtd.
Joe Milton who was pick #193 received a $183,316 signing bonus and that is all that was gtd.
Travis Clayton who was pick #221 received a $121,584 signing bonus and that is all that was gtd.
Nick Gargiulo who was pick #256 received a $58,000 signing bonus and that is all that was gtd.
Going undrafted is not that big of a deal if you are talented enough to get a large signing bonus.
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The Vikings have been very aggressive with spending money to get the UDFAs they want.
Minnesota Vikings UDFA tracker: Max Brosmer, Silas Bolden, more
3 Undrafted Vikings Make the Big Bucks
Player – Gtd – Signing bonus
Max Brosmer – $246,000 – $10,000
Silas Bolden – $205,000
Tyler Batty – $259,000
Ben Yurosek – $254,000 – $20,000
Still no numbers on Logan Brown that I was able to find.
Since I have not seen Brown’s signing bonus, I have to include him as the most likely to make the final 53. Brosmer and Yurosek are strong candidates as well.
I am going with Silas Bolden because he is a dynamic punt returner and if he shows he is able to do that then he could win that job fairly easily.
Looks like the Van Ginkel contract details are published now by overthecap and spotrac.
He signed a 1 year, $23,000,000 contract with the Minnesota Vikings, including $10,000,000 signing bonus, $22,440,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $23,000,000. In 2025, Van Ginkel will earn a base salary of $7,440,000, a signing bonus of $10,000,000 and a workout bonus of $50,000, while carrying a cap hit of $11,400,000 and a dead cap value of $28,040,000.
His cash take home will be 18M in 2025 and 16M in 2026.
His cap hit went down by 1M this season and is at 11.4M.
His cap hit went up by 18M in 2026 and will be at 19.4M.
In 2027, his dead money would be 8.8M if it stays as is.
The team still has 19M in cap space (rounded up)
in 2026, the Vikings are currently 41M over (in the red).
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Veteran Vikings players rave about J.J. McCarthy: ‘You can tell he wants it’
Josh Metellus, 6th-year safety
As a fellow Michigan graduate, Metellus is extra biased towards McCarthy.
On McCarthy’s leadership role as a young QB on an older team:
“For J.J., being the guy he was coming into the league, already having that (background) — Big Ten program, leader, captain, been that was since high school, I’m sure it was when he was in little league too. He’s already had that leadership thrown onto him, so it just bleeds in him. I think the big part about J.J. is he’s very organic. He’ll come in the building and he’ll be himself. For him, as long as he can be himself and feel accepted, his abilities, his traits are gonna excel in his leadership role, whatever it is. We don’t need him to come in and be the Patrick Mahomes of the team right now. He’s still trying to figure things out, he still has to play his first game, get that angst and stuff out. Last thing we want to do is have him feel like he has to say the last word to the team. We have a veteran team for a reason, to welcome in a guy like that so he can just focus on his day-to-day process and not have to worry about being that true-blue leader, because we have a lot of good ones.”
Harrison Smith, 14th-year safety
“He’s a guy that I enjoy being around a lot. He’s his own person, he kinda speaks his mind, has his own way of thinking about things. Very smart, very invested in football and winning and competing. Football-wise, he’s tremendously talented. He was doing a lot of good things in training camp last year, in my opinion as a guy going against him. But just being around him, obviously it’s a tough position to be a high pick and things look like they’re going well and then the season’s gone. So that’s a whole different struggle to overcome those things and be ready for the following year, be ready to go. I’ve been fortunate to spend some time with him, got to play some golf with him in Mexico. We had a good time. He hit some great shots. Yeah, I enjoy my time with him. He’s an interesting fellow, and I think he’s a little smarter beyond his years.”
Chase Daniel says J.J. McCarthy sounded ‘nervous’ during recent presser
McCarthy made some noteworthy statements, saying he feels “110%” and that “I’m ready to start.”
Those read like confident statements, but former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel thought McCarthy sounded “nervous.”
“It just sounded like it was almost rehearsed in his head a little bit, but I do believe he feels that,” Daniel said Thursday on the Scoop City podcast during a conversation with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. “I think it’s just mainly — we’re making too big a deal about this — he’s just nervous to talk in front of the media, and look, he’s a first-time starter. … I’m excited to see what he can do on the field, just looks a little green there. He needs to work on that a little.”
There was one aspect of McCarthy’s media performance that did impress Daniel, however.
“I was very pro media, and I knew like half our reporters names, so that’s a big deal to me,” he said.
Daniel believes McCarthy will be under a lot of pressure with the Vikings coming off a 14-3 season.
“The roster the Vikings have right now, it’s elite. They have a really good roster. … It’s all going to come down to the quarterback,” he said. “This is all great, and I’m not being negative, this is all great right now … (but) when the stuff hits the fan, and you’re between the white lines and everyone in the huddle is looking at you and you’ve never done it before, this is what the developmental year for J.J. McCarthy probably looked like last year. … He’s got a lot of pressure on him.”
Note: The headline is misleading for obvious reasons. Clicks.
4. Minnesota Vikings
QBs: J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, Max Brosmer
The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall out of Michigan with an eye on him being their starting quarterback in the future, and they let Sam Darnold walk this offseason to accelerate that timeline. However, it’s unclear how much faith they have in McCarthy fully being ready to roll in 2025 after tearing his meniscus in the 2024 preseason. O’Connell confirmed Minnesota “evaluated” Aaron Rodgers and is “hopeful” McCarthy is the team’s starting quarterback. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
The Vikings acquired veteran quarterback Sam Howell during the 2025 NFL Draft along with a fifth-round pick (172nd overall) in exchange for the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round. Howell started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders as a rookie in 2023, and he led the NFL with 612 pass attempts while playing on a team with the league’s worst defense. He also threw as many interceptions, 21 (most in the NFL), as touchdowns as a result of forcing the ball downfield to try and make up for the porous defense. Brett Rypien is a journeyman, now on his third NFL team and has just four starts in 10 career games played. Minnesota signed rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer this offseason after he served as the Golden Gophers’ starting quarterback just down the road at the University of Minnesota.
Week 1 starter: J.J. McCarthy
Barring a sudden change of heart from O’Connell and Minnesota’s front office that results in Rodgers being signed, McCarthy is the guy.
Where do Vikings stand in post-draft national NFL power rankings?
Conor Orr, SI.com — No. 11 (Down 5 spots)
I suppose much will be made of the Vikings “dropping” in my power rankings from the post-free agency version I wrote a few weeks back. But, in reality, I did not drop them nearly enough after the team pivoted to a redshirt freshman quarterback. I think J.J. McCarthy will be great and, yes, I know we just watched Jayden Daniels take the Commanders to the NFC title game. But we need to be reasonable about expectations. Still, beefing up the offensive interior and adding to the embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position with the 4.3-speed Tai Felton is unnerving for opponents.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com — No. 10 (Down 3 spots)
I was a little surprised with how the first round went. I was a fan of Donovan Jackson and pegged him as an early second-rounder, so seeing the offensive lineman go 24th didn’t bother me. I just wonder, with the Vikings entering the weekend with just four picks (they made five after scooping up an additional sixth-rounder), did they consider a move down? One slot later, Houston received two third-rounders — one this year and one next — to move down nine spots. Then again, the Texans might have wanted Jackson at No. 25. It’s an interesting call. I also worry a little about Minnesota’s cornerback depth — is it enough? The Lions, Packers and Bears all added pass catchers over the weekend, supplementing already-strong groups. That CB position is one that might be worth re-addressing as we get closer to camp. But the Vikings already cast most of their lot with a strong free-agent class and realistically should be considered among a top group of contenders if J.J. McCarthy is solid.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports — No. 13 (Down 7 spots)
They’ve improved on both the offensive and defensive lines in free agency and the draft. But this season will be all about quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first year as the team’s starter. If he’s good, they will be good.
Nate Davis, USA Today — No. 18 (Down 4 spots)
Admittedly, they were devalued at this time a year ago – basically universally – given the unknown at quarterback. And while the totality of talent on the roster (and coaching staff) might be in sharper focus now, the unknown at quarterback remains.
David Helman, FOX Sports — No. 16 (Down 4 spots)
I want to put the Vikings so much higher than this. The roster is loaded, as we know from last year’s 14-3 record. They’re plugging a first-round pick into the offensive line. They even traded for a 4,000-yard passer in Sam Howell as insurance for J.J. McCarthy. There’s so much potential here, but I just can’t move them any higher until I’ve seen more of McCarthy.
Josh Kendall, The Athletic — No. 9 (Down 1 spot)
Watch: ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid breaks down Vikings’ 2025 Class
Vikings’ $21 Million Starter Josh Oliver Bracing for His Departure
On May 1, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported that starting tight end Josh Oliver’s representation is comfortable reaching free agency next March.
“He’s another logical extension candidate that you at least engage with his representation, but certainly a comfort level that, if it gets to next March, Oliver is okay hitting unrestricted free agency,” Wolfson said on SKOR North.
Signed to a three-year, $21 million contract in the 2023 offseason, Oliver was considered a meaningful addition to the running game. Oliver graded out as the sixth-best run-blocking tight end by Pro Football Focus (PFF) during the 2022 season with the Baltimore Ravens.
He graded as the fourth-best run-blocking tight end of the 2024 season and also saw an uptick in his involvement as a pass-catcher, posting a career-high 258 yards receiving and three touchdowns as a second option behind T.J. Hockenson.
The Vikings rank second in total cap spent ($26.3 million) and have the highest cap percentage (12.1%) sunk at the tight end position with Hockenson and Oliver under contract next season.
The Minnesota Vikings added five players in the 2025 NFL Draft, which is tied for the fewest players selected by any team in the league.
But they have signed an impressive group of undrafted free agents to strengthen their rookie class. One of which has the potential to make the rest of the league realize that they made a big mistake not drafting him.
Vikings sign Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Huber after he went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Vikings signed Wisconsin guard Joe Huber as a part of their 2025 UDFA class. Huber began his college career in 2020 at the University of Cincinnati, where he spent the first three years of his career. His first year as a starter with Cincinnati came in 2022, where he logged 13 starts at right tackle. He transferred to Wisconsin ahead of the 2023 season following his head coach, Luke Fickell, who was named the Badgers’ new head coach. There, he started all 25 games he appeared in 2023 and 2024.
How Van Ginkel’s Deal Makes Chiefs’ Bolton Look Like A Steal
One extension that jumps off the page as of late has been the Minnesota Vikings extending linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel to a healthy $23 million with $22.4 million guaranteed. After seeing that extension get done, it really makes the Kansas City Chiefs’ extension of linebacker Nick Bolton look like a steal.
Earlier this offseason, the Chiefs and Bolton reached an agreement on an extension for the next three seasons worth $45 million, guaranteeing $30 million. While Bolton is getting more money over the next few seasons compared to Van Ginkel, the Chiefs aren’t paying nearly as much when it is all said and done.
Note: This writer believes Bolton and Van Ginkel play the same position and thus, a comparison is warranted. SMH
Yore Way Too Early 2026 Mock
Trade Recap
Minnesota Receives: 2026: Round 2, Pick 46, 2026: Round 4, Pick 114, 2026: Round 6, Pick 195
Miami Receives: 2026: Round 2, Pick 50, 2026: Round 3, Pick 97
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Minnesota Receives:
2026: Round 3, Pick 84, 2026: Round 5, Pick 160
Tampa Bay Receives: 2026: Round 3, Pick 82
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Minnesota Receives: 2026: Round 3, Pick 89, 2026: Round 6, Pick 206
Cincinnati Receives: 2026: Round 3, Pick 84
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18. Jermod McCoy CB Tennessee 6’0” 193
46. Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6’0” 207
89. Zane Durant DL Penn State 6’1” 288
114. Jaydn Ott RB Oklahoma 6’0” 210
118. Tomas Rimac IOL Virginia Tech 6’6” 318
160. Chase Roberts WR BYU 6’4” 210
174. Bryce Boettcher LB Oregon 6’2” 225
195. Rod Moore S Michigan 6’0” 198
206. Patrick Payton EDGE LSU 6’5” 250
232. Riley Mahlman OT Wisconsin 6’9” 308
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