The Minnesota Vikings left the NFL draft with a rather exciting group of players, securing quarterback J.J. McCarthy and pass rusher Dallas Turner, both in the first round. McCarthy is spending the entire season on IR after undergoing meniscus surgery, and defender Turner has struggled to earn meaningful snaps behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard.
Vikings Rookie Is Set to Make His NFL Debut on Sunday
It’s fair to say that kicker Will Reichard has been the most impactful Vikings rookie in the 2024 campaign despite a four-week stint on IR because of a hamstring injury.
On Sunday, however, another first-year player seems to enter the mix. The Vikings have elevated practice squad defender Gabriel Murphy for the reunion with Kirk Cousins and his Atlanta Falcons.
The pass rusher came to Minnesota as an undrafted rookie, and folks were quite excited when he arrived after the draft. However, injuries have derailed his short NFL journey.
The former UCLA defender suffered an injury in training camp, and the club placed him on IR, keeping him around after roster cutdowns. His practice window was opened a few weeks ago and the Vikings activated him to the 53-man roster.
To clear a roster spot, though, the Vikings waived him, which was quite risky as other teams could’ve just snatched him off waivers. Regardless, the bet paid off, and he stayed in the Twin Cities.
Murphy was a fascinating prospect, highly touted by various analysts after the draft who couldn’t believe his tumble into undrafted territory despite the productive 2023 season.
His size concerns have likely played a significant role in his slide. His arm length is almost unprecedented, although that didn’t bother him in college. He tabulated eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss last year at UCLA.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the rookie before his injury after he had flashed in camp:
Super versatile, a guy that can rush on the edges, he rushed inside in the dime group. What’s been really cool is just seeing his impact even in the run game, from a physicality setting the edge standpoint, and he’s got some versatility like what we’ve tried to build in that edge room of guys that can maybe play off the ball as well.
He’s extremely physical and had a few days where he’s had some bumps and bruises but Gabe’s had a great training camp and is in alignment with what we want out of the undrafted free agent class; guys that you’re bringing here to hopefully have a chance to make your 53 (-man roster) and Gabe has put himself very much so in that conversation. It’s going to be competitive all the way down to the very end but Gabe just needs to focus on doing the things he’s been doing and he’ll be alright.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has relied on the aforementioned Van Ginkel and Greenard as the primary outside linebackers. Longtime backup Patrick Jones has been the top backup, also recording seven sacks this year, more than in the previous three campaigns combined.
Van Ginkel and Jones are both questionable for Sunday, and Murphy’s elevation is a sign that at least one of them will not suit up. It also seems likely that he will make his debut, as the Vikings are unlikely to waste one of their elevations just so the player can stand on the sidelines.
Another UDFA is in a similar situation. Dwight McGlothern has not been active this year, but with starting cornerback Stephon Gilmore out, he climbs to CB4 in the team’s pecking order behind Byron Murphy, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau.
Both undrafted rookies are likely to make their career debuts on Sunday against Cousins’ offense.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt