Ranking Every Minnesota Vikings Player: Top UDFAs from last two years make their appearance in Nos. 50-46

The countdown of every Minnesota Vikings player on the 90-man roster is now inside the top 50 and we have a very interesting group of players just inside that threshold. Over the last three offseasons, the Vikings have had eight UDFAs make the initial 53-man roster. There are a couple of players who could end […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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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

The countdown of every Minnesota Vikings player on the 90-man roster is now inside the top 50 and we have a very interesting group of players just inside that threshold.

Over the last three offseasons, the Vikings have had eight UDFAs make the initial 53-man roster. There are a couple of players who could end up making the team this year, including one who made it inside the top 50.

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50. P Ryan Wright

The Vikings haven't had consistency at punter since Chris Kluwe was on the roster and Wright hasn't been the player to remedy that. His performance has been up and down over the first three years of his career, and his contract isn't one that guarantees him a spot on the roster, as he would only cost $650k in dead money.

49. OT Walter Rouse

The Vikings' fourth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was Rouse, who played five seasons at the FBS level. His final year was at Oklahoma where he didn't allow a single sack. As he continues his growth in the NFL, Rouse will potentially kick inside to guard becuase he lacks the quickness to thrive at tackle against speed rushers. That versatility could end up giving him the inside track to getting a roster spot.

48. RB Ty Chandler

The Vikings drafted Chandler in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft thinking he could eventually be part of a duo like Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are set to be this season. It was the ideal scenario to develop him while they get the most out of Dalvin Cook.

When he did get the opportunity to play extensively, it was an up and down situation. He did have over 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. The big issue is the lack of consistency with his vision, especially with zone rushing concepts. He has developed into a really good special teams player as the personal protector on the punt team, and that role will be what likely keeps him on the roster.

47. CB Zemaiah Vaughn

Vaughn is the highest-ranked UDFA on this list. Should he be this high? Well, that's up to interpretation, and it's the potential he has that's so intriguing. He was a quarterback when he enrolled at Utah and became a cornerback just a few years ago. He's grown in that position, but he went undrafted for two reasons: a lack of polish for his age and his unique body type.

Vaughn is 6'2.5" with 32" arms, but he is a slender 186 lbs. He can struggle with physicality and his agility scores were very poor considering his size. The ability to click-and-close going straight forward is excellent and likely what was so appealing to Brian Flores. This is the next project for the Vikings at cornerback, and he could make things interesting when it comes to final cuts.

46. EDGE Gabe Murphy

The number one UDFA signing from the 2024 NFL Draft was Murphy, and last year, he wowed coaches a lot during training camp. Unfortunately, he got injured before the first preseason game and stayed on the PUP list through the first half of the season.

Once he was activated, Murphy was sent back to the practice squad and played extensively against the Atlanta Falcons when Pat Jones II was injured and was good in that game. His lack of length and other depth pieces added this offseason could end up knocking Murphy back to the practice squad, but he's got juice.

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