With the completion of rookie minicamp and the signings of two try-out players, the Vikings roster is now set with 91 players, ready to attack the remaining phases of offseason preparation as well as training camp and the preseason.
Undrafted Rookie to Watch Named for Vikings
Among those 91 players are numerous undrafted rookies, including some high-profile players like quarterback Max Brosmer, tight end Ben Yurosek, offensive tackle Logan Brown, and Tyler Batty, an edge defender from BYU.
The latter received a shoutout from Pro Football Focus, earning UDFA to watch honors.
PFF’s Ben Cooper wrote: “The Vikings appear flush with defensive line talent and drafted edge defender Dallas Turner in the first round a year ago. There still may be room for a talented UDFA such as Batty to crack the roster or practice squad, though.”
Indeed, there’s room for one or two more guys behind Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard and sophomore Dallas Turner. Patrick Jones departed in free agency, leaving his spot vacant because the Vikings haven’t addressed it in free agency or the draft.
Cooper continued: “Batty posted a solid 13.5% pass-rush win rate and earned a 76th-percentile PFF run-defense grade in 2024. His undrafted status was surprising, considering he ranked 116th on PFF’s big board and racked up 143 quarterback pressures during his college career.”
Batty spent five years at BYU and played in 53 games. He recorded 224 tackles, 16.5 sacks, a couple of interceptions, and 34 tackles for loss.
He led Minnesota’s UDFA class with $259,000 in guaranteed money.
Listed at 6’5″ and 271 pounds, Batty ran a 4.78 40-yard dash. Some considered him a draftable prospect, so it’s no surprise he’s generating some buzz.
Let’s check what draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the player he deemed good enough to be a 6th or 7th-rounder.
“Batty has played standing on occasion, but he will be a 4-3, strong-side defensive end in the NFL. He’s densely muscled and plays with consistent aggression at the point. He hustles in pursuit, too. He has some snap in his initial punch but lacks the length and twitch quickness to get away from blocks quickly and will succumb to power from tackles. He creates pressure with hops and euro-steps to gain ground. He has strong hands to discard the punch but won’t beat most pro tackles with speed or power. He’s an older rookie and an effort player, but it’s not clear if he’ll have the physical gifts or skill level to become a ‘make it’ prospect.”
Usually, undrafted rookies are long shots to make the team, but Batty should have a decent chance considering his opponents for the remaining outside linebacker job(s) are also undrafted players in sophomores Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter, as well as fellow undrafted rookie Chaz Chambliss.
Richter was pretty much exclusively a special-teams player last year in the deep edge-rushing group. Murphy missed most of the season injured. When he returned, he was higher in the rotation than Richter, but the special teams prowess could still give Richter the edge.
Batty is already 25 years old. He’ll be a fun player to watch in the preseason, and the outside linebacker crew could be contested.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
