The Vikings Once Again Landed One of the Top Undrafted Free Agents
Josh Frey
|
The 2024 NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday afternoon with the Minnesota Vikings making five more selections.
However, following the draft’s conclusion, the work did not stop for the Vikings. The team came to terms on contracts with a number of undrafted free agents, including one of the top players who somehow went undrafted: UCLA edge rusher Gabriel Murphy.
The Vikings Landed a Top UDFA
The signing was reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who tweeted, “Former UCLA edge Gabriel Murphy is signing with the #Vikings, per source.”
Murphy, who will turn 24 years old in October, began his collegiate career at North Texas before transferring to UCLA prior to the 2022 season. It took some time for Murphy to get settled into the Bruins’ defense, and he recorded only four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2022.
However, Murphy truly burst onto the scene in 2023 next to Laiatu Latu, who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick. Murphy piled up 38 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and two passes defended.
Murphy’s 61 QB pressures ranked seventh in the FBS last season (right behind Latu’s 62), and his pass rush win percentage of 18.4% tied for 19th, per PFF. At 6’3″ and 247 pounds, Murphy isn’t the biggest player off the edge, but he wins with explosiveness off the line and strong technique. There is a path for him to make Minnesota’s roster this year.
If you’ve been following the Vikings for awhile, a top UDFA signing won’t come as too much of a surprise. Seemingly every year, Minnesota finds a way to bring in some intriguing talent through the undrafted free agency process, and sometimes, they even end up making the 53-man roster in August.
Last year, Minnesota had three undrafted free agents make their final roster: EDGE Andre Carter, LB Ivan Pace, and CB NaJee Thompson. Neither Carter nor Thompson regularly saw the field on defense, but particularly in Thompson’s case, he was very important to the special teams unit as a gunner.
As for Pace, he wowed the organization throughout training camp, and he almost immediately jumped into a starting role for Minnesota. The Cincinnati product played the 10th-most snaps of any Vikings defender last season, appearing in all 17 games and starting 11 times.
Of course, that probably shouldn’t be the expectation for Murphy as he begins his journey towards fighting for a roster spot. After losing Marcus Davenport, Danielle Hunter, and D.J. Wonnum in free agency, the Vikings have completely rebuilt their edge group this offseason.
Not only did they add Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Jihad Ward in free agency, but they also selected Dallas Turner with the 17th overall pick in the draft. Turner is a very talented prospect, and he was labeled by some folks as the top defender in this year’s class. The addition of Murphy is just another strong insurance plan.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and Sports Reference CFB.
The Vikings’ Next Offseason Dates to Remember
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.