Vikings Add Another Young Defender with Upside

The Minnesota Vikings held rookie minicamp last week, and in addition to signing DT-OLB Smith Vilbert, the club inked linebacker Bangally Kamara.

Two tryout players earned contracts. Now comes the real roster climb.

Kamara enters the mix for Minnesota at the bottom of the 90-man roster, hoping to do enough at training camp and in the preseason to stick around for the 53-man depth chart in September or snag a practice squad invitation.

Minnesota Adds More Depth to Brian Flores’s Defense

Get to know Kamara, the newest Viking.

Kamara to MIN

The rookies keep on coming for Minnesota. KU Sports‘ Henry Greenstein wrote Monday, “Former Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara has signed with the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced on Monday. Kamara went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft but apparently made enough of an impression at the Vikings’ minicamp to earn a roster spot based on his tryout performance. Minnesota signed him alongside former Penn State lineman Smith Vilbert.”

“Kamara spent one year as a Jayhawk, the first piece in KU’s 2025 expansive transfer class, after four seasons at Pitt and a short stint at South Carolina. He served as KU’s starting weak-side linebacker and was an all-conference honorable mention at the conclusion of a year in which he recorded 56 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, while starting nine of the 11 games he played.”

Kamara, listed between 6’1″ and 6’2″ and 220-230 pounds, is a bit small for an inside linebacker, but he’ll battle for a roster spot nevertheless.

The Background

Kamara stands out as a versatile linebacker prospect. At the aforementioned height and weight, he’s a bit undersized but demonstrates the flexibility to play dedense and on special teams — a critical asset for making an NFL roster. His collegiate path, however, was not straightforward.

He transferred collegiately twice, moving from Pittsburgh to South Carolina before landing at Kansas. Despite this winding route, his production finally materialized in 2025, recording 56 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 11 games.

His appeal stems from his movement, range, and utility in sub-packages. Possessing 4.69 speed, a 10-foot-1 broad jump, and 32 1/8-inch arms, he has the athletic tools necessary to operate effectively in space. The primary question mark surrounding Kamara is his definitive NFL role: he’s likely too light for full-time EDGE work and will need to carve out a specific niche. He projects as a developmental linebacker and special teams ace.

Our Kyle Joudry on Kamara: “Per PFF, Kamara had a reasonably humdrum season, finishing off with a 63.4 grade. Most promising was his 79.3 pass rush score, further corroborating the notion that Kamara is at his best when he’s allowed to move forward. His snap allotment shows 309 snaps in the box, 156 snaps along the defensive line, 59 snaps as a slot corner, and 5 snaps as a wide corner.”

“Kamara now has that chance given that he turned his tryout (the initial chance) into an undrafted contract, which will span three seasons while coming in a hair below $900,000 for his 2026 cap charge. Expect the guaranteed money to be low, if not outright non-existent.”

The Revised ILB Group

When the offseason began, off-ball linebacker represented a huge question mark for the Vikings. Wilson and Pace Jr. were free agents, and rookie Jake Golday had not entered the picture yet. Fast forward to May, and both Wilson and Pace Jr. are back, while Minnesota tabbed Golday as its 2nd-Round pick.

Here’s the updated lay of the land at inside linebacker:

• Blake Cashman
• Eric Wilson
• Ivan Pace Jr.
• Jake Golday
• Jacob Roberts
• Scooby Williams
• Josh Ross
• Keli Lawson
• Bangally Kamara

It might be the Vikings’ deepest roster spot.

The Other Guy — Vilbert

Vilbert is a defensive lineman who can be used on the line interior or the edges, depending on Flores’s mood. He’s 6’6 and 290 pounds with 34-inch arms.

Minnesota’s defensive scheme prioritizes versatility, expecting its front-seven players to move around, show different looks, and take on various assignments. This makes Vilbert’s build intriguing, as he could potentially play as a five-technique, an interior backup, or even a big edge rusher.

However, his path forward is undeniably steep. Older than most rookies, Vilbert’s college career at Penn State and North Carolina showed flashes of talent rather than consistent dominance. While his physical tools are legitimate, he remains a project, which explains why he went undrafted.

Vilbert represents a classic Vikings lottery ticket: a big, experienced, and coachable player facing a tough battle for a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Vikings’ defense ranked third-best leaguewide in 2025 per EPA/Play and DVOA.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker