Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings added Kansas OT Logan Brown as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL draft.

Logan Brown is a one-year starter at right tackle inside Kansas' 60-40 run-pass split, RPO/motion heavy, zone-based run scheme with gap principles (G-T counter) mixed in. Brown has a broad frame, long arms and thick, well-rounded build with good athletic ability and very good play strength.

In the run game, Brown is a commanding presence on angle-drive blocks where he uses light feet, big body and vice grips for hands to cover up, jar and displace defenders off of their spot to vacate space. He has good athletic ability to re-leverage his hips, drive and stay attached late in the rep to torque and finish. Brown is a capable puller who can climb, intersect and erase backers on his climb. He has an upright playing style that can lead to him being late transferring his weight against moves across his face but his length casts a wide net that usually is enough to slow down penetration, but his aiming points will need added refinement at the next level to consistently keep things in front of him.

In pass protection Brown regularly blots out tightly aligned rushers using his size, length and grip strength while flashing the ability to set on and land a stiff, jarring punch to clench up widely-aligned rushers. Brown has bad habits such as setting too flat and striking down the middle of rushers using his outside hand that create two-way gos and short corners. He can also be a tick late recognizing stunts that leave him vulnerable to getting knocked off levels by penetrators.

Overall, Brown has the size, play strength and power to develop into a swing tackle within his rookie contract and with added refinement to his technique, use of leverage and overall consistency could become a long-term spot starter.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 311

HAND: 10"

ARM: 33⅞"

WINGSPAN: 84"

40-YARD DASH: 5.18

3-CONE: 7.75

SHUTTLE: 4.51

VERTICAL: 32"

BROAD: 9'3"

POSITIVES

— Broad frame, long arms and thick, well-rounded build are straight out of central casting.

— Commanding grip strength and power.

— Blots out defenders on angle-drive, down and kick-out blocks with heavy hands to feed defensive tackles over a gap on double-teams.

— Shows good athletic ability and movement skills to get to his spots, track targets on the move and close space to backers on his climbs.

— Firm, stout anchor with a snatch-trap technique to steal leverage against leaning rushers.

NEGATIVES

— Upright play style with some sporadic flashes of choppy, disjointed footwork.

— Unrefined set points lead to setting too flat, swinging open his hips and creating either a soft inside shoulder or short corners on an island against widely-aligned, high-side rushers.

— Needs to work in a bait and/or circle punch technique into his game as a pass protector to avoid striking down the middle with his outside hand.

— Can be a tick late recognizing games and stunts that leave him vulnerable to getting picked off by penetrators.

NOTES

— 5-star recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Won consecutive Michigan state championships in the shot put as a sophomore and junior

— Redshirted during his first season at Wisconsin due to shoulder and biceps injuries

— Appeared in 26 games with three starts at right (two) and left (one) tackle before being dismissed from the team due to striking a teammate during a fight at practice

— Transferred to Kansas prior to the 2023 season

— 14 career starts; 13 at right tackle and one at left tackle

— Accepted his invite to the 2025 Senior Bowl

GRADE: 6.2 (Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 193

POSITION RANK: OT14

PRO COMPARISON: Yoshua Nijman

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

The Minnesota Vikings selected Penn State LB Kobe King with the No. 201 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Kobe King is a solid run defender and has the potential to make it as a "Mike" linebacker. He's a good downhill player who has some force when taking on blocks to knock back offensive linemen occasionally and hold his ground. He also has solid instincts to consistently be around the ball against inside runs.

However, King doesn't show good athleticism and struggles in coverage, making him a two-down player. Additionally, his athletic and speed limitations negatively impact him against outside runs and could make it difficult for him to contribute on special teams in the NFL.

Overall, the Penn State product is a decent late-round prospect for a team looking to add depth to its linebacker room.

MEASUREMENTS AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 236

HAND: 9½”

ARM: 31¼”

WINGSPAN: 78⅝”

POSITIVES

— Thick build with a good weight for a run-stuffing middle linebacker. Played at 248 pounds last season.

— Solid instincts against the run. Quick to key and diagnose blocking schemes to get to the right spot and mirrors and adjust to RBs' paths in the backfield well.

— Physical, has good knee bend and solid strength when taking on blocks to help hold his ground against offensive linemen.

— Can make tackles with linemen hanging onto him.

— Quick to sniff out running back screens.

NEGATIVES

— Not a good athlete or fluid mover, can't be trusted in coverage. Got taken off the field in a lot of passing situations last season.

— Lacks sideline-to-sideline speed, limiting his range against the run.

— Doesn't have the quickness and athletic ability to work over the top of blocks versus perimeter runs.

— Below-average arm length, which limits the extension he can get on blocks and can lead to him getting stuck.

— SuBpar awareness in zone coverage. Often late to see/recognize threats coming into his area.

NOTES

— Born Jan. 28, 2003

— 3-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— Twin brother, Kalen, was a cornerback at Penn State and drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2024

— 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

— 2024 Second-Team All-Big Ten

GRADE: 5.9 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 243

POSITION RANK: LB15

PRO COMPARISON: Jack Sanborn

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has been impressed with quarterback J.J. McCarthy as he enters his second year in the NFL, but O'Connell also detailed the team's conversations with Aaron Rodgers in free agency.

"The second part that can be true is Aaron Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and somebody who, not just myself, but we've all had so much respect for competing against him," O'Connell said, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "And he happened to be at a point in time in his career where he was free to have some real dialogue about what his future may look like. And we happened to be one of those teams that he reached out to. And I have had a personal relationship with him going back since my playing days."

He explained that the Vikings also have faith in McCarthy.

"We took [McCarthy] 10th in the draft last year after a very extensive evaluation process," O'Connell said, via Seifert. "A lot of things that we hoped to see from him, we saw in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, he got injured and we tried to maximize as much as we could with his 'redshirt' year."

McCarthy didn't appear in the regular season during Minnesota's 2024 campaign due to a torn meniscus.

Sam Darnold started for the Vikings with the rookie out, helping lead the team to the playoffs with a 14-3 record before signing a three-year deal worth $100.5 million with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency.

Minnesota may be hesitant to solely rely on McCarthy as it attempts to return to the postseason in 2025, as he doesn't have a single regular-season snap under his belt.

The former Michigan standout showed promise in his lone preseason game, finishing 11-of-17 for 188 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an interception.

J.J. McCarthy to Trishton Jackson for the 45 yard TD!

And @JJettas2 LOVES it!

📺: #LVvsMIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QmEKsnabMz

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

O'Connell didn't name McCarthy the Vikings' 2025 starter on Monday, explaining that he'll need to earn the job in training camp.

"I feel really, really positive about the path we're going to take with J.J. from a development standpoint, from an acceleration of reps," O'Connell said, per Seifert. "And he's going to benefit from an offseason worth of reps from the offseason program to obviously training camp and being in a competitive situation when our quarterback room is all finalized."

Rodgers is an intriguing short-term option for Minnesota. The 41-year-old threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions with the New York Jets in 2024.

He previously visited the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, but he reportedly prefers to sign with Minnesota.

O'Connell confirmed that the Vikings have talked to Rodgers, but they don't reflect any concerns that the team has regarding McCarthy's long-term future.

While J.J. McCarthy hasn't officially been named the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback, all signs are pointing in that direction, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah told reporters on Wednesday.

Kwesi on J.J. McCarthy on QB1: "That's the outcome we want and that's the outcome we're headed towards." https://t.co/7WTqXJGVPq

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) March 26, 2025

The Vikings have also been heavily connected to Aaron Rodgers this offseason, but Adofo-Mensah seems satisfied with the team's current QB room of McCarthy and Brett Rypien.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Aaron Rodgers: "Right now ... we're happy with our room."

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) March 26, 2025

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on if he can rule out Aaron Rodgers as a possible QB addition: "For me to sit here and say anything is 100% forever, that's just not the job."

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) March 26, 2025

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, missed all of last season with a torn meniscus suffered in a preseason game.

McCarthy excelled at Michigan before landing in the pros, leading the Wolverines to a 15-0 record and a national championship to cap the 2023 season. He finished his career by completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions (two seasons as a starter, one as the backup).

Last season, the Vikings signed Sam Darnold as a veteran quarterback to have alongside McCarthy. It seemed like Darnold would be the bridge to McCarthy last year, but he became the team's clear QB1 for the season when the latter suffered the knee injury.

Now it's clear this is McCarthy's show, even as Aaron Rodgers continues to ponder his future. The connections in the press between Rodgers and the Vikings have been out there. At this juncture, though, it appears the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the favorites to sign him if he does end up returning to the league.

McCarthy will take over a team that went 14-3 last year but lost in the NFC Wild Card round to the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings cleaned up this offseason, signing big names such as defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave and offensive linemen Will Fries and Ryan Kelly.

The table is set for the Vikings to make a deep playoff run, and McCarthy should be at the forefront of it, even though he's not yet officially QB1.

There appears to finally be some clarity at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, and their plan doesn't seem to include Aaron Rodgers.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Vikings have told teams calling about J.J. McCarthy they aren't trading him and plan to move forward with him as their starter.

Pelissero added that Minnesota is exploring veteran quarterback options, either via trade or free agency, but Rodgers is not being pursued by the team.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Rodgers is described as having a "non-zero" chance of being signed by the Vikings in part because head coach Kevin O'Connell isn't necessarily looking to upend their plans to give the ball to McCarthy.

Seifert also pointed out the Vikings have spent $245.5 million in free agency, which would seem to be an indication they want to operate on a timeline with a rookie quarterback whose cap hits are under $7 million in each of the next three seasons.

Rodgers seemed to be holding out hope that Minnesota would be an option for him.

The Athletic's Michael Silver, Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis reported on Saturday the Vikings are Rodgers' preferred landing spot, but the decision was ultimately up to head coach Kevin O'Connell about what Minnesota would do.

With the Vikings now appearing to be out of the running, Rodgers' landing spots are down to the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants. Both teams reportedly have standing offers out to the four-time NFL MVP.

The Athletic's report did note there's a possibility Rodgers could elect to retire rather than sign with the Steelers or Giants.

From Rodgers' perspective, it's easy to see why he would want to go to Minnesota if it was an option. Sam Darnold just revived his career by having his best season in a quarterback-friendly environment with the Vikings in 2024.

For the Vikings, it's not unreasonable to assume that McCarthy would have been their starter last season if he didn't suffer a torn meniscus in the preseason that ended his rookie campaign prematurely.

Minnesota has a lot invested in McCarthy becoming at least a quality starting quarterback. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft after a successful three-year stint at Michigan that culminated with a national title.

Even with some development needed because the Michigan offense didn't ask him to do much, the upside for McCarthy at this point is higher than what Rodgers could offer at the age of 41.

Now, it seems McCarthy will enter training camp this summer with the opportunity to prove it to the Vikings as their No. 1 quarterback.

The Minnesota Vikings are not "too heavy" in their pursuit of free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers amid the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants' reported interest, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter Saturday (1:50 mark).

"Well, the hold-up is he's taking his time to figure out what's right for him, but I've talked to a source who said the Minnesota Vikings are sort of loosely involved here, but the expectation is they wouldn't go too heavy here because they're concerned about J.J. McCarthy's development, but they are at least lurking," Fowler began before giving a more complete picture on the Rodgers situation.

"The two main players still appear to be the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants. I'm told they have standing offers out to Rogers. He is mulling them. The sentiment around the league is that he can be a Pittsburgh Steeler, but nothing official yet."

The Vikings is still not out of the running, however, with Michael Silver, Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis of The Athletic reporting that Rodgers is hoping to land in Minnesota.

"The Vikings have been strongly weighing the possibility of pursuing Rodgers," The Athletic reported, with the decision will likely come down to head coach Kevin O'Connell.

The 41-year-old Rodgers, a 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time NFL MVP, completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season for the New York Jets.

Rodgers had one more year on his contract, but the Jets released him on Wednesday as they turned the page to a different era led by new leadership in general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. Justin Fields will be the team's starting quarterback after signing a two-year contract.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is looking for a new home. The Vikings have their 2024 first-round pick waiting for his shot in McCarthy, who missed all of last season with a torn meniscus. Veteran Sam Darnold was the team's QB1 last year and excelled with 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. He parlayed that into a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Vikings went 14-3 last year before losing in the NFC Wild Card round to the Los Angeles Rams. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah then led a free agency spending spree that included Indianapolis Colts offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

This team is built to win now. McCarthy certainly is a talented player with high upside, but it's also unclear how he'd perform in 2025 as a de-facto rookie coming off a season-ending injury. In theory, the Vikings could look to Rodgers to buy McCarthy time and better take advantage of the team's roster this year.

Or, as Fowler noted, concern over McCarthy's development could loom the largest, and Minnesota may very well just roll with him.

In the meantime, it's a waiting game for the Vikings, Steelers and Giants fanbases as they wait to officially see who their starting quarterbacks will be in 2025.

Even though the Minnesota Vikings used the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft to select J.J. McCarthy with the goal of making him their quarterback of the future, the possibility of adding Aaron Rodgers could alter their plans.

On the latest episode of the Scoop City podcast, The Athletic's Dianna Russini explained the Vikings are "seriously discussing" the idea of signing Rodgers in free agency.

Aaron Rodgers is intrigued by the possibility of playing for the Vikings.

And Minnesota is seriously discussing the possibility of adding the four-time MVP.@ChaseDaniel and I break it all down on Scoop City: https://t.co/V2E07qdH5o pic.twitter.com/jX9B8Tyncq

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 14, 2025

Minnesota has been a surprise addition to the Rodgers' sweepstakes, which seemed likely to come down to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

There's no indication at this point that the Vikings have made a formal offer to Rodgers.

Russini said on Thursday's episode of GoJo and Golic that Pittsburgh and New York have discussed contracts with Rodgers' camp, with the Vikings said to be "lurking" in the shadows, but no one has had a lot of direct contact with Rodgers himself.

Where does Aaron Rodgers land: Steelers? Giants? Vikings? All those teams can do is play the waiting game.

“Yeah, we're waiting. Everybody is waiting, everyone's frustrated. I can tell you that…There's not been a lot of communication with the player directly…I wish I had an… pic.twitter.com/9o6DIG7eTS

— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) March 13, 2025

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said on Thursday's episode of The Dan Patrick Show it's "highly likely" that McCarthy is the Vikings' starting quarterback in 2025, but the team could pursue backup options to give themselves depth at the position.

Minnesota's moves thus far in free agency indicate a team that is ready to take advantage of having a quarterback on a rookie contract.

Per Spotrac, the Vikings have given out the second-most total money ($252 million) and third-most total guaranteed money ($93 million) among all teams in free agency.

Their additions include guard Will Fries (five years, $88 million), Jonathan Allen (three years, $51 million) and Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million). They also kept Bryon Murphy on a three-year, $54 million deal.

The Vikings still have more than enough cap space to bring in Rodgers if they want. They're currently $41.4 million under the cap.

Rodgers could offer more certainty than McCarthy, simply because we have no idea what the latter is going to look like as an NFL player. His rookie season ended after suffering a torn meniscus in Minnesota's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 10.

Even though Rodgers is no longer the same caliber of quarterback he was at his peak with the Green Bay Packers, there were some glimmers last season with the New York Jets that he can still be a good starter.

Rodgers ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards (3,897) and passing touchdowns (28) during the 2024 campaign.

The Vikings' 14-3 record was tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the second-best in the NFC last season. Their season ended with a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a decision on his next landing spot in free agency, but a longtime rival reportedly is considering adding him to the mix.

ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported on Wednesday that the Minnesota Vikings have held discussions regarding potentially signing Rodgers this offseason.

"My understanding is that the Vikings have at least been entertaining the possibility internally of what it would look like to add Aaron Rodgers into this quarterback room," Seifert said.

Updating the Vikings' QB situation today on @SportsCenter following Daniel Jones' decision to sign with the Colts. A curveball remains *possible* as we otherwise await the public coronation of J.J. McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/aejA5skSFL

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) March 12, 2025

There are questions surrounding the quarterback position in Minnesota after 2024 starter Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent. Veteran backup Daniel Jones also followed Darnold out the door and signed with the Indianapolis Colts. That leaves 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie year due to a torn meniscus, as the only viable quarterback option on the roster at the moment.

Vikings decision-makers are still evaluating their options at quarterback, including the possibility of signing Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP is intrigued by the idea of playing in Minnesota. For now, it’s a waiting game, sources tell @mikesilver and me. pic.twitter.com/CK2UqzL596

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 12, 2025

However, McCarthy still has to work his way back into form, and his developmental timeline doesn't necessarily match up with a team that's built to win now.

Seifert explained that the Vikings are riding high off the success of their 14-3 finish to the 2024 season, and they improved on both sides of the ball in free agency. Head coach Kevin O'Connell leads an offensive unit that features one of the best talents in the league in star receiver Justin Jefferson, so adding Rodgers could push Minnesota over the top as a contender for the Super Bowl title this season.

"You drop Aaron Rodgers into that mix, potentially you'd have a Super Bowl favorite for 2025," Seifert added. "That would obviously push J.J. McCarthy's timetable back a year to 2026.

"I don't have any information to suggest that's the likely scenario right now, but I do know that as of yesterday evening, they were having that discussion internally whether Aaron Rodgers is the right option for 2025, whether it's right for their building and for their culture and their organization."

Prior to being traded to the New York Jets in 2023, Rodgers spent the majority of his career tormenting the Vikings with the Green Bay Packers. Still, he could follow in the footsteps of fellow Packers legendary quarterback Brett Favre, who spent the final two seasons of his career in Minnesota. Favre even recently advocated for Rodgers to join the Vikings because of the talented pieces they already have in place.

Rodgers is still evaluating his options in free agency, but it's clear that Minnesota presents an intriguing situation for him as he nears the end of his career.

Javon Hargrave is set to suit up for a new squad after spending the past two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Hargrave and the Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms on a two-year, $30 million contract after he was released by the 49ers.

Hargrave was a Pro Bowler in 2023 when he logged 44 tackles, seven sacks, 14 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss, but had his 2024 season cut short due to injury.

After picking up seven tackles and a sack in his first three games, Hargrave partially tore his right triceps in a Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The injury required surgery and ended his season.

After the injury-shortened season, the 49ers decided to move on from Hargrave, releasing him in March and making him a free agent.

Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million contract with the 49ers in 2023 and was set to play on the third year of the deal before the release.

Following the release, San Francisco general manager John Lynch said the team would be open to re-signing Hargrave on a reduced contract, but the Niners wanted to give him the chance to test out the free-agency market.

That worked out for Hargrave as he found his way to Minnesota, where he will team up with fellow free-agent signee Jonathan Allen to form a dynamic interior duo.

Even though the Minnesota Vikings seem prepared to enter 2025 with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback, there's at least one person encouraging Aaron Rodgers to sign with them as a free agent.

Appearing on Fox News' The Will Cain Show, Brett Favre said Rodgers should look to join the Vikings because "that's a good place to win" with all of the talent they have in place.

.@BrettFavre on @AaronRodgers12 possibly playing for the @Vikings: "By all means sign with them." pic.twitter.com/t4OpCgileU

— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow_) March 12, 2025

There have been rumblings that the Vikings could be a surprise suitor for Rodgers. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport described them as a "dark horse" team to watch for the four-time MVP.

The Athletic's Michael Silver also wrote on Tuesday not to rule out Rodgers going to Minnesota.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Rodgers' most likely landing spots are the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.

The Steelers have already seen Justin Fields leave as a free agent to join the New York Jets. Russell Wilson, who started 11 games for Pittsburgh last season, remains available.

Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wilson's return to the Steelers could be contingent on if their negotiations with Rodgers don't produce an agreement.

Rodgers is doing a great job of creating a market for himself. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday that the Giants have had "great conversations" with Rodgers' camp.

From Free Agency Frenzy: The #Giants have had good conversations with Aaron Rodgers and have let him know they believe he and WR Malik Nabers would vibe well. pic.twitter.com/0ss76LLDSZ

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2025

If Rodgers' goal is to find a situation that gives him the best chance to win, it's hard to argue against the Vikings. They just went 14-3 with Sam Darnold as their quarterback. Their roster features arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL (Justin Jefferson), a very good No. 2 receiver (Jordan Addison), good tight end (T.J. Hockenson) and a solid offensive line.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, who uses elements the Shanahan-LaFleur system that helped Rodgers win his last two MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, is also one of the best offensive play-callers in the league.

Given all of the money Minnesota has spent so far in free agency, it certainly seems like the team is prepared to go with McCarthy and take advantage of the flexibility having a quarterback on a rookie contract affords teams.

If Rodgers is willing to take a low-money offer because he likes the Vikings' chances of winning, it wouldn't be a total shock to see him follow the Favre path.

After Favre had a disappointing 2008 season with the New York Jets, he signed with the Vikings as a free agent and led them to the NFC Championship Game in 2009.

Rodgers is expected to be released by the Jets when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. He threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and a 63.0 completion percentage in 17 starts last season.