Buried Vikings Rookie Gets Some National Love

The Minnesota Vikings finally have a rookie class that’s bigger than just a handful of players. This year, nine rookies arrived via the draft and many more right after the three-day event. While the expectations are high for those who cost draft capital, the undrafted free agent class doesn’t have any of that.

Though they are always long shots to make the 53-man roster, let alone contribute, the goal is to find a couple of undrafted rookies with the potential to provide value down the road. For this year’s Vikings, wideout Dillon Bell and punter Brett Thorson have already gotten some buzz.

Josh Edwards, CBS Sports, thinks offensive tackle Tristan Leigh could be the one to provide a spark in the Twin Cities.

He wrote this week, “Leigh started 33 games over the course of his time with the Tigers. Although he most recently played left tackle, Leigh has also played guard, so he offers positional versatility in his bid to make the roster. Leigh received the second-largest practical guarantee ($262,500) from the team, behind only Georgia wide receiver Dillon Bell ($272,500).”

The Clemson product received a nice paycheck in exchange for his signature in April. That guaranteed money doesn’t guarantee a roster spot, but it certainly shows he had interest from other suitors and that the Vikings were willing to open the checkbook to lure the rookie to Minnesota.

Undrafted rookies have a storied history with the franchise. Mick Tingelhoff and John Randle made it all the way to Canton, while Minnesota’s own, Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham, are recent examples of long careers.

Leigh wants to be the next in line, but the competition at tackle is simply brutal. The Vikings, of course, will continue to rely on veterans Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw. Injuries slowed down the duo over the last couple of years, but when healthy, they are certainly among the best in the business.

Furthermore, the Vikings bolstered the depth this offseason, adding Ryan Van Demark in free agency, a player the Buffalo Bills didn’t want to let go. In the draft, interim GM Rob Brzezinski used a third-rounder to onboard Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan. Usually, teams keep four tackles on the roster, but the practice squad is a decent goal for undrafted first-year athletes.

Leigh’s competition will be for the fifth spot on the depth chart, competing against 2024 draftee Walter Rouse and Caleb Etienne, a practice-squad player from last year.

NFL.com’s draft scout, Lance Zierlein, opined months ago about the rookie, “Former five-star recruit with good length and athletic ability but inconsistencies that could hurt his chances on the next level. Leigh has the footwork and hand-timing for protection success in the early stages of the rep but struggles anchoring against power. He gets into trouble with excessive lunging. He’s quick out of his stance and is able to hit lateral/second-level landmarks but his lack of sustain strength will be hard for him to overcome as a run blocker.”

That former five-star pedigree won’t help him in the NFL, but it shows some athletic tools and raw talent that the new OL coach, Keith Carter, can work with.

He’ll have a couple of months to get comfortable against NFL competition, and then he’ll need a flawless preseason to maximize his staying power.

Making the 53-man roster would be a significant upset given Minnesota’s depth at tackle, but that doesn’t mean Leigh’s first NFL season would be a failure if he falls short. The practice squad often serves as the first step for developmental linemen, and the Vikings have shown patience with young offensive line prospects in recent years. Last year, undrafted rookie guard Joe Huber stuck around and even got some playing time.

For now, simply earning national recognition is a reminder that Leigh is more than just another undrafted rookie. The path to playing time may be crowded, but the Vikings clearly saw enough potential to invest in him, and the coming months will determine whether that investment starts to pay off.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt