Undrafted Vikings Rookie Quickly Shows He’s Worth Keeping an Eye on
The Minnesota Vikings have once again nailed their undrafted rookie class, filled with talented and promising first-year players. Among those are pass rusher Tyler Batty, right tackle Logan Brown, and tight end Ben Yurosek. Perhaps it’s time to give quarterback Max Brosmer some attention, though.
Undrafted Vikings Rookie Could Have a “Potential Long-Term Role”
Brosmer, who spent his final collegiate season as Minnesota’s signal-caller, was the best or second-best available quarterback in this year’s UDFA class in most rankings, and he joined the Vikings, a team that had three quarterbacks on the roster with presumed starter J.J. McCarthy, trade acquisition Sam Howell, and last year’s QB3 Brett Rypien.
Brosmer’s best-case scenario would be unseating one of those to land on the roster as the new QB3, but earning a spot on the practice squad would be a decent start to his career, too. He could then compete for a depth role once again next offseason.
Many view Brosmer as a potential long-term backup or depth quarterback because he brings some of the skills those guys need, including a high football IQ and a game-manager mentality. He projects to enter a game as a more cautious quarterback than, for example, gunslinger Nick Mullens. That would lead to a less explosive offense but more ball security, and some coaches prefer that. That’s how quarterbacks can have long NFL careers without starting their careers as high-profile passers.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote a few days ago, “When he went undrafted, the Vikings swooped in with an offer that suggests they project him for a potential long-term role as a backup. Brosmer received $246,000 in fully guaranteed money to join a quarterback room that includes presumptive starter J.J. McCarthy, along with Sam Howell and Brett Rypien.”
Those guarantees ranked him second in Minnesota’s class behind BYU’s defender Batty.
Seifert added, “No. 4 quarterbacks don’t often generate much attention, but the Vikings’ fluid depth chart and Brosmer’s initial impression at last weekend’s rookie minicamp merit a close eye in the coming months.”
Rookie minicamp was the first opportunity for Brosmer to showcase his skill set.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell, a so-called QB whisperer in the eyes of many, said about his new passer: “From the standpoint of fundamentals, techniques, his ability to generate some pretty good revolutions and RPMs on the ball with pretty limited movement in the pocket. From a standpoint of his high football IQ, I think it shows up when he can really arrive here, spend a couple hours in meetings, and he’s out there making corrections in the middle of a 7-on-7 walk-through. We’re already seeing a lot of things that we really identified in Max to bring him into a quarterbacks room that we’re really excited about, and I think he had a great first day,” he added.”
O’Connell also stated he identified Brosmer at Minnesota’s Pro Day, but not in 2025, in 2024, when he was not yet coming out. Due to a rule change, he was allowed to throw to the receivers from the 2024 class, and he caught O’Connell’s eye.
The passer spent his first five college seasons at the University of New Hampshire, where he started ten games in his first campaign in 2019 and one in 2020 (New Hampshire’s only game due to the COVID season).
A year later, in 2021, Brosmer missed the entire year with a torn ACL suffered in training camp. He bounced back with two more seasons as the full-time starter for the FCS school. In 36 games, he passed for 8,713 yards and 70 touchdowns.
His final college season, famously, took place at the University of Minnesota, where he tabulated 17 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading the Gophers to an 8-5 record. He proved that he could compete at a higher level.
Entering the draft, Brosmer was not regarded as a high-profile prospect. He doesn’t feature a rocket arm, nor does he have the mobility to be a rushing threat. However, he is a smart player, a solid decision-maker, and has shown that he can lead an offense without making too many mistakes.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described his profile when he was coming out of college:
“Confident, cerebral quarterback with average traits who proved he could play at the FBS level. Brosmer has an average arm but throws with anticipation and a sudden release. His ball placement needs work to become more accomplished against tight man coverage, but he can pick apart zone coverages with intermediate throws. He’s asked to read and attack coverages, and can do so when in rhythm, but his production nosedives when the pocket heats up and he’s forced to move. Brosmer’s lack of mobility and second-reaction playmaking hurts his chances, but he should be appealing to a play-action based offense utilizing levels route concepts.”
It remains to be seen how open a competition it actually is for the QB2 or QB3 jobs. By merit, Howell and Rypien surely are the favorites, and often teams allocate the reps primarily to the top three guys rather than letting a fourth guy throw the rock.
If he gets an opportunity to compete, it would be fun to watch in training camp and the preseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.