The Minnesota Vikings needed to make final decisions on their 53-man roster prior to the 3pm CDT deadline on Tuesday. There were already settled competitions at quarterback and on special teams .
Of course the roster situation remained fluid as players were being waived by other teams. Minnesota had to assess where they wanted to be with the talent within their walls as well.
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Every team has plenty of locks for the roster each year. It's the intriguing additions, or those that are even somewhat shocking, where you really want to dive in. These are the additions that really stand out for Minnesota.
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A undrafted rookie linebacker out of Georgia, it was Chambliss who nabbed a roster spot on Brian Flores' defense . Gabriel Murphy wound up being a surprise cut, and it's the 6'1″ Bulldog that made the grade instead.
As a freshman and sophomore, Chambliss won National Championships with Georgia. He played in 54 games during his time with the Bulldogs and racked up 86 tackles. Last season as a senior, Chambliss posted a career-best 6.5 sacks.
Few defenders are as experienced and versatile as @GeorgiaFootball EDGE/LB Chaz Chambliss, one of the more notable combine snubs of this draft cycle.
At Pro Day today, at 6'2, 245, his testing numbers included (and where he'd ranked among Combine DEs):
✅30 Bench Reps (2nd)… pic.twitter.com/do25jJ60rn— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 12, 2025
It will be interesting to see how Brian Flores deploys the depth linebacker. Of course the top of the group is loaded with Andrew Van Ginkel , Jonathan Greenard , and Dallas Turner . Chambliss certainly has some good talent to learn from though.
You can certainly make a case for both Kobe King and Austin Keys here. Certainly Keys, another undrafted free agent, would have the upper hand. Obviously Minnesota liked what they saw from the linebacker depth.
Minnesota kicked both Dalton Risner and Ed Ingram to the curb this offseason. Will Fries and rookie first round pick Donovan Jackson are taking over at the starting guard spots. Blake Brandel has been the veteran depth there for a while, but it's undrafted rookie Joe Huber who will now push him along with Michael Jurgens .
Joe Huber (RG #60) 😏 pic.twitter.com/zJ4D3Q2HNo
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) August 23, 2025
Huber was seen as a solid get for Minnesota when they nabbed him following the draft . He has stood out in run blocking schemes all preseason , and that's an area the interior offensive line struggled last season.
Minnesota will continue to develop Huber, and he'll get plenty of tough reps in practice going up against the Vikings first-team defense. If he can take steps forward, a nice succession play may emerge down the line.
Another undrafted free agent, Williams comes to the Vikings from Morgan State. At 6'3 and 270 pounds, he's a big boy in the middle of the defensive front. He shouldn't be expected to take reps from Javon Hargrave or Jonathan Allen , but it's not a bad duo for him to learn under.
. @Vikings rookie UDFA DT, Elijah Williams, for @MSUBearsFB . Very active, good movement with interior pass rush ability. Stick Around, Pay Attention!! #skol #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/qjI13gLhKg
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 12, 2025
In 12 games last season he had 54 total tackles. Williams racked up 31 sacks over the course of his collegiate career, and 11 of them came in 2024. He should provide some versatility in the middle of Brian Flores' front, and that's an intriguing depth piece to have.
You could certainly make a case for wide receiver Myles Price, or tight end Ben Yurosek as well. Both are undrafted free agents and were not expected to stick around. However, the wide receiver depth is thin and Price can operate in the return game. Yurosek likely got the roster spot ticketed for draft pick Gavin Bartholomew , but he'll miss the season with a back injury.
If there was a spot I saw an unexpected name coming, it wouldn't have been at safety. Harrison Smith has been doing this thing forever and will start. Both Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus received new contracts and are locked in. Jay Ward is one of the lone remaining draft picks for Adofo-Mensah as well.
Nice play by #37 Tavierre Thomas in run support pic.twitter.com/y0Bia6Xi6g
— Warren Ludford (@wludford) August 17, 2025
It's possible that Minnesota views Thomas as necessary depth given Smith's age, recent illness, and the fact that three safeties will likely be on the field for the majority of a game. Thomas has been in the league for seven seasons and has 98 games of experience under his belt.
He's largely been rotational depth, with just two interceptions and six passes defended, but that what the Vikings need.
The Minnesota Vikings open the regular season on September 8 against the Chicago Bears . The two teams square off at Soldier Field for Monday Night Football.
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