A Forgotten Vikings Rookie Introduced Himself on Friday
Most of the recent rookie buzz belongs to Max Brosmer in the Vikings universe. The undrafted quarterback, who stayed in the state after captaining the Golden Gophers, had a fantastic preseason. Other popular rookies include Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The defender might have a bigger role than expected following the Harrison Phillips trade.
A Forgotten Vikings Rookie Introduced Himself on Friday
One rookie had not made much noise prior to Friday’s preseason finale, but finally showed some of his skills. Tight end Bryson Nesbit, an undrafted rookie, produced two catches for 45 yards, and he was responsible for the team’s lone touchdown versus the Tennessee Titans.
He caught a pass from Brosmer, turned up the field, and marched into the endzone.
At tight end, the Vikings actually have an opening. Johnny Mundt departed in free agency when he followed backup QB Nick Mullens and former assistant OC Grant Udinski to Jacksonville. That vacancy was attempted to be filled in the draft, as the Vikings selected Gavin Bartholomew in the sixth round. Unfortunately, a back injury has been preventing Bartholomew from participating for months.
In the meantime, veterans Giovanni Ricci and Nick Vannett were hired, joining the tight end room with starters T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver, as well as undrafted rookies Ben Yurosek and Nesbit.
Yurosek has drawn the most attention besides the two starters, but in the preseason, he only caught one pass for five yards. He has shown some nice blocking skills, though. Vannett logged three receptions for 22 yards, and Ricci was limited to 11 yards.
Ultimately, Nesbit collected five receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, resulting in better numbers than the other three tight ends combined. Now, building a roster based on preseason statistics is obviously not how it’s done. Still, Nesbit has shown some intriguing talent as a pass-catcher, and he might just be the best of the group in that area.
For a third tight end, usually the blocking element is playing a significant role, and that’s certainly not Nesbit’s strong suit. He’s a move tight end rather than a blocker. At 6’5″ and 238 lbs, he was used as a big slot receiver at North Carolina, and he put up productive numbers with Patriots passer Drake Maye under center.
In 44 games as a Tar Heel, Nesbit caught 107 passes for 1,510 yards and 13 touchdowns, with nearly 1,100 of those yards and nine scores coming in 2022 and 2023 on the receiving end of Maye’s passes.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote ahead of the draft, “Though listed as a tight end, Nesbit is more of a bigger, taller slot receiver. He’s long but tight-hipped and will struggle getting off of press and in and out of breaks on time. When running routes requiring fewer break points, he’s able to pick up speed and create downfield opportunities for his quarterback. His hands can look sloppy in one game and then he’ll make challenging catches the next. He’s been productive, but he can’t help as a blocker and will have to prove he has the strength and consistency to make it in the league.”
Yurosek is the better blocker and Nesbit the better receiver. If the coaching staff wants to replicate Johnny Mundt, the former is likely the better choice. However, if they want another receiving threat, which might not be the worst idea considering the state of the WR group, Nesbit might have a puncher’s chance.
Regardless, he should be stashed on the practice squad at the very least, with the hope of unlocking some blocking skills and potentially having a more balanced tight end next year because the receiving talent is there.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.