90 Minnesota Vikings: Tight Ends
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There isn’t much room for upward mobility in this position group. The starter and 2nd option are more or less set. But the team needs three, maybe four tight ends. This group consists of a 5th round draft pick fending off challenges from a second-chance Big Ten stars, an undrafted hopeful and a castoff clinging to potential.
Want to read about Rudolph or Morgan? Here’s the hub post.
QUARTERBACKS
LINEBACKERS
WIDE RECEIVERS
DEFENSIVE LINE
OFFENSIVE LINE
Tyler Conklin
A former basketball playing tight end with a brother in the NFL is ripe for many an NFL cliché, but at his heart, he’s just a kid with a dream like every other rookie. During his senior season at Central Michigan, Conklin broke his foot, and missed enough time to put his NFL future in jeopardy. But he returned with gusto and earned a spot at the NFL Combine. While most prospects spend their days leading up to the combine focusing solely on their training, Conklin went the extra mile, donating money for each inch he achieved on his vertical jump, totaling over $3,500. As it turns out, it was a great score, and helped him get drafted by the Vikings. He found out while surrounded by friends and family that he’d be moving on to compete in the NFL. And for our benefit, he documented his whole journey from college to pro football.
Conklin is supposed to be somewhat of a mismatch nightmare and add to the Vikings’ receiving corps. He’ll mostly be competing with David Morgan for snaps in 2TE formations, but the difference in their skillsets will mean they won’t be competing as directly as other teammates. Conklin will also be fending off some competition for his roster spot, though, most 5th rounders make the team, so it’d take a remarkable difference between him and someone beneath him on the depth chart.
Blake Bell
Blake Bell’s time at Oklahoma was certainly unique as he swapped from quarterback to short-yardage “Belldozer” and back again. But after Trevor Knight locked away the quarterback job, Bell transitioned to a receiving role, and excelled there too. He was drafted by the 49ers in the 4th round, and had a reasonable role-playing season under Jim Tomsula. But he stagnated in the Chip Kelly year, ultimately missing San Francisco’s roster in 2017. That put him in a much different world than the once versatile, do-it-all Sooner with a high ceiling. Last year The Vikings picked him up as they dealt with a concussion to Bucky Hodges, and Bell ended up locking up the roster spot for good. They only targeted him 4 times, however, when a December injury prematurely ended his season.
Bell’s going to have to develop quickly to keep his place on the roster. He’ll either have to coerce the team into keeping four tight ends, or beat out a fresh fifth round rookie as a big-bodied receiver. Blake Bell was added as a possible upside player, and showed that he could fit in during the few games he was required to start thanks to injury. But in his 4th NFL season, he’ll have to show that he’s still growing and improving. If Bell does miss the roster, it may be difficult to imagine too many other NFL teams taking a chance on “upside” that hasn’t been realized in three years.
Tyler Hoppes
Hoppes (HOP-iss) is a versatile former Cornhusker with a relaxed demeanor that caught the eye of his coaches at Nebraska, and he hopes that works in Minnesota too. He originally chose to play on a scholarship at Wayne State in Detroit, but transferred back to Nebraska to be closer to home, and in a better football program. But a bigger program comes with a higher bar, and Hoppes had to walk on to make the Huskers. They tried to move him to defensive end because of his size, but Hoppes sought out tight ends coach Tavita Thompson. He convinced him to let Hoppes play at tight end, and worked his tail end off to catch up on the playbook. It worked, but it led to a developmental career where he didn’t break out until his senior season. This wasn’t enough to get any draft hype, but it was enough to earn an undrafted free agent contract with the Vikings.
Hoppes contends with Conklin, Bell and Price for the final roster spot or a practice squad slot. The fact that he can block gives him a leg up in this competition, and if the Vikings decide they want the tight end with the most diverse skillset, Hoppes has an outside chance to make the roster. Most likely, he’s competing for the practice squad slot, but if he puts good enough tape out there, he could always catch the attention of a team looking to poach.
Josiah Price
Last year, I wrote about Price’s relationship with his brother, how it inspired the whole Michigan State squad and how he overcame his combine snub to get a chance at an NFL roster. Obviously, he didn’t make it. But in March, the Vikings signed him to a contract to try out again, hoping that the former leader of Michigan State can find his footing on an NFL roster, or even practice squad. Price has earned himself a second chance to find his way to the next level of football, and Spartan fans remain fully behind him.
Price has a lot of hurdles in front of him if he wants to remain an NFL hopeful. The roster is pretty far out of the question, but if he shows progress from last offseason to this one, he can possibly contend for a practice squad slot. Getting a chance at an NFL team pretty much erases any reputation associated with missing out on the combine. Now he’s just another UDFA who didn’t make the team. Last year, Kyle Carter was in his way, but with him joining the Giants, Price only has to contend with Tyler Hoppes and whoever loses the roster battle between Conklin and Blake Bell.
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