Vikings Earn Praise for a Controversial Pick
Fullbacks are a dying breed nowadays, as only a few teams even employ someone with that position designation. Others use tight ends or even linemen to serve as lead blockers. In Minnesota, however, fullbacks have never vanished.
Jerome Felton and Zach Line blocked for Vikings legend Adrian Peterson from 2012 on. C.J. Ham took over in 2017 and has been with the club ever since. The Minnesota native announced his retirement in January, giving the Vikings only two options: Either replace him or entirely delete the position from the roster.
The Vikings chose the former and added Michigan’s fullback Max Bredesen in the fifth round. Of course, as fullbacks don’t have the utmost value in NFL circles, the pick has drawn some criticism.
The selection ended up 83rd on Matt Miller’s list of the 100 best picks, however.
The ESPN draft analyst wrote, “When a fullback comes off the board in Round 5, we’re going to celebrate. Bredeson was a rock for Michigan and has the flexibility to line up as a fullback or H-back. A former quarterback and walk-on, Bredeson was invaluable to the Michigan offense thanks to his ability to align in multiple roles. He had no peers in the class as a blocker. If there’s going to be a power run game in Minnesota, Bredeson is the fullback you want kicking it off.”
It remains to be seen if the Vikings truly want to establish a power run game, but they appear primed for continued fullback usage.
Bredeson was a college teammate of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who also attended his new teammate’s draft party and crashed the first draft interview. They are now reunited.
Everyone knows about McCarthy’s college story. He was not asked to carry the load at Michigan, as the ground attack took the lead role. Bredeson played a role in that area during the McCarthy era and he has until last season.
In his college career, the former tight end appeared in 54 games and registered 12 receptions for 132 yards. He never logged a carry. His past job with the Wolverines, but also his future job with the Vikings, is not to advance the ball; it’s to clear the way for those with the ball and he’s excellent at that.
Ham’s snap count declined early under O’Connell, but picked up lately. In the final three years under Mike Zimmer, Ham tabulated between 33% and 40% of the offensive snaps per season. That dropped to 15% in 2022 and to 19% in 2023. In 2024, however, he appeared on 24% of the offensive plays, and that number rose to 28% in 2025.
O’Connell has fallen for heavier personnel in recent years, likely leading to Bredeson’s selection. It’s fair to wonder whether he would’ve targeted a new fullback had Ham retired three years ago.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler commented on Bredeson ahead of the draft, “Bredeson fits the mold of a smashmouth, no-nonsense blocker that was an integral part of NFL football 30 years ago — but not as much in the modern game. He does offer versatility in the ways he is deployed as a run blocker, creating movement with the same physicality and violence on every snap (former Michigan teammate Rayshaun Benny: ‘I watch Bredeson highlights to get jacked up.’). His lack of ideal length and speed will be more noticeable on a field with NFL athletes.”
That’s precisely the player Minnesota needs to further elevate the running game. Backs Jordan Mason, Aaron Jones and Demond Claiborne will be happy when someone is leading the way.
Picking a fullback might not win the popularity contest, especially among analytics fans, but there’s a good chance he’ll play more than many other fifth-rounders.
With Bredeson in town, the fullback position remains a staple of the Twin Cities.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.