Another Big Camp Could Cement Kwesi’s UDFA’s Status
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
As much as the draft can be the lifeblood of successful organizations, the post-draft process of sorting through undrafted free agents (UDFAs) can be every bit as vital. NFL teams strive to find talent and are willing to go to great lengths to gain any competitive advantage. Yet these undrafted players can often fly under the radar.
This is the case for some general managers, such as the Vikings’ Rick Spielman and his tamed approach to the UDFA market. But under the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah regime, the Vikings have operated successfully in the margins by being aggressive and showing a willingness to pay top-notch UDFAs above market value to land prospects they covet.
It’s a strategy that’s paid off well early on in Kwesi’s career. An estimated 15-to-20 UDFAs will make an NFL roster every year. Impressively, Minnesota saw three make their 53-man roster last season alone: linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., edge rusher Andre Carter II, and cornerback/special teams ace NaJee Thompson.
It’s minimal money that can produce a maximum return. For just the price of $236K guaranteed, the Vikings got an 11-game starter in Pace Jr. Even the astronomical prices on the UDFA market are dirt-cheap. Carter II received $340K guaranteed, one of the biggest deals ever given to an undrafted rookie. It’s still peanuts for any player that can make a roster.
Adofo-Mensah hit the 2024 UDFA class as hard as he did last season. The Vikings added Gabriel Murphy, an edge rusher who had a strong college season (8.0 sacks, 16 tackles for loss at UCLA) but lacks ideal arm length. The Vikings rolled the dice on him for $235K. Cornerback Dwight McGlothern and edge rusher Bo Richter both signed for far less, but each could provide value, and both have modest chances to make the roster with strong performances in training camp.
It’s clear that Kwesi has a determination and focus to identify players who boast strong athletic tools but lack prototypical, physical measurables. Those are plentiful on the UDFA market. Just look at Pace Jr., who at 5-foot-10 was considered undersized by the NFL scouts that let him slip through the draft. But the Cincinnati Bearcat led the NCAA’s linebackers with a 92.8 PFF grade, thanks to being second in pass-rush grade (93.2) and seventh in run-defense grade at (92.8).
His measurables didn’t stop him from posting elite numbers at the college level, and they didn’t stop him in the NFL. Pace Jr. had a strong rookie season, became a fixture in Flores’ defense, and is on track to take another step this season. Overall, Kwesi has been feasting on players who profile similarly, which leads to Murphy, who could be this season’s diamond in the rough.
Like Pace Jr., Murphy lacks ideal size and arm length but makes up for it with effort and skill, which led to strong production in college. Despite being overshadowed by his teammate and first-round pick Laiatu Latu, Murphy had a fourth-round consensus grade from draft experts.
With 61 pressures, Murphy ranked ninth among 390 qualifying defenders, and his 85.0 PFF grade was 19th overall among all defenders in 2023. Murphy’s athleticism is undeniable, as he posted a 39.5-inch vertical that finished second at the combine (fellow rookie Dallas Turner was first), an exceptional 4.68 40-yard dash, and finishing in the 92nd percentile for an athletic score.
NFL evaluators view arm length as a prominent measurable for edge rushers, and his 30.5-inch arms are notably shorter than the preferred 33-inches. Despite that, Murphy has the versatility to play inside and has the explosiveness and strength to make an impact quickly. Kevin O’Connell even mentioned Murphy on Tuesday saying, “Murphy showing up, time and time again, early on here as a guy who is versatile in the rush game.”
Murphy even got first-team reps late in practice Tuesday, which shows that Kwesi may have struck again. But he’s not the only diamond in the rough at training camp.
Carter II, a 2023 UDFA, is an edge rusher who went to Army and is a growing physical specimen who needed a professional weight room to mold his body to be in NFL shape. This being Year II for Carter II, the hope is he can make more of an impact. Unlike Pace and Murphy, Carter does have exceptional arm length (33.5-inches), which coaches must teach him to use to maximize leverage against and bully offensive linemen.
He may be a work in progress, but showed enough to make the roster last season (210 total snaps, including 68 defensive snaps) and every indication is the coaches will continue to work on his mechanics and play-making techniques.
Cornerback, Dwight McGlothern, from Arkansas and edge rusher, Bo Richter, from Air Force are talented UDFA prospects that have a chance to make the roster.
As for McGlothern, he will have every opportunity with the tragic passing of Kyree Jackson, Mekhi Blackmon’s torn ACL, and Andrew Booth Jr. underperforming mightily leading into his third season. McGlothern offers upside that the team’s recently-signed veterans lack.
McGlothern was rated the No. 1 cover corner among 370 qualifying defenders last season. His exceptional ball skills helped him hold receivers to only one catch over 15 yards, and his 6-foot-2 frame means he’s actually tall for the position at 6’2”. Overall, he lacks certain athletic traits, but his strong instincts help him to make plays, along with being among the best tacklers at his position.
Richter was an intriguing prospect who was third in pass-rush win rate last season, which resulted in 55 hurries and 9.0 sacks. Like Murphy, he has below-average arm length (30 5/8 inches), but he has the skill set teams covet and Flores has the ability to tap into the qualities Richter offers.
If any, or all, of these UDFAs make the roster, this would mean Kwesi will have landed four-to-six roster players in the past two seasons with zero draft capital and the NFL equivalent of spare change. This wealth of unheralded talent speaks to the job the Vikings staff has done in identifying these under-the-radar players. Ask players like Pace Jr., Adam Thielen, Robert Griffin, and John Randle how that can work out for Minnesota.
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