Who are the best Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agents signed by Rick Spielman?
In 2012, Rick Spielman graduated from the Minnesota Vikings vice president of player personnel to the team’s general manager. Spielman shared decision-making authority with Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and then-coach Brad Childress from 2006 until his general manager promotion-date.
Although Spielman is credited, to a degree, for drafting players like Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, he wasn’t granted official general manager authority until he got the new job title with Minnesota in 2012. So, this commentary will, therefore, focus on his performance in the last eight years.
During Spielman’s official tenure as the Vikings general manager, a total of 64 undrafted free agents have appeared in games for the purple and gold. This includes players like safety Andrew Sendejo, who had a stint with the Dallas Cowboys before landing in Minnesota in 2011.
64 probably sounds high, but it really isn’t. In the same eight-season time period, the Chicago Bears have suited up 89 undrafted players and the rival Green Bay Packers have had 88 guys play for them who were undrafted.
Comparatively, many more Vikings players that were acquired via the NFL Draft have landed active roster spots since 2012. This is likely due to the gobs of late-round picks that Spielman likes to squirrel away each year.
Nine Minnesota players that entered the league with an undrafted classification have earned a Pro Bowls selection during their tenure in purple. Some of the most notable undrafted players to ever suit up for the Vikings include Mick Tingelhoff, John Randle, Pat Williams, and Warren Moon.
That’s the distant past, so let’s go over the best undrafted guys who were brought in by Spielman ranked in ascending order.
Eric Wilson – LB
Mr. Wilson keeps making our lists here at The Viking Age, and that is probably a good thing. Eric Wilson played college football at the University of Cincinnati from 2014 to 2016. There, he made a couple of all-conference teams (American Athletic Conference) and he was projected as a late-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. This draft was heavy with linebacker talent and the logjam drove Wilson’s stock southward.
Ultimately, he was not selected by any team in the league. Instead, he fell into the lap of the Vikings after the draft.
Since that acquisition, Wilson has played in every single Minnesota game. Regular season, playoffs, you name it, Wilson has been on the field.
In the early portion of his career, he was utilized more on special teams. But he has since switched to the role of the Vikings starting weakside linebacker. Which is, you know, a big deal.
Wilson especially earned Minnesota’s trust when he replaced fellow linebacker Ben Gedeon who was concussed twice last season and missed substantial time.
Before that point, Wilson had only played on defense for about one-third of the time. His defensive snaps spiked down the stretch of the 2019 season. His increased playing time last year is also a reasonable indicator that he will be named the starting weakside linebacker for Minnesota this season.
C.J. Ham – FB
First of all, it’s neat that C.J. Ham is on this list because most NFL teams do not even use a fullback anymore. There might be some nostalgia here.
Affectionately nicknamed Hambone, the Vikings fullback played his college ball in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at Augustana University, a Division II institution. Ham was a running back at Augustana, and during his senior season, he accounted for 19 touchdowns.
He began his white-horned journey in Mankato, Minnesota, at the Vikings 2016 training camp. After camp, Ham was added to Minnesota’s practice squad and he would remain there until December of 2016 when he was integrated into the team’s full 53-man active roster.
The following season, Ham was converted to the fullback position and he has never looked back. Fullbacks do not typically record gaudy stats, but Ham has made an impact nevertheless. His efforts were duly rewarded last year as he was elected to his first Pro Bowl.
Anthony Harris – S
If you’re a card-carrying Rick Spielman detractor, it’s probably a rational idea to study the 2015 offseason before you author your memoirs. In that year’s NFL draft, alone, Spielman added Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Stefon Diggs, and Trae Waynes to the organization. And, he wasn’t done there.
Spielman proceeded to find undrafted safety Anthony Harris from the University of Virginia. Harris played sparingly during his first three seasons with the Vikings as head coach Mike Zimmer deferred to a tandem of Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo as his two starting safeties.
But in 2018, Harris emerged and indisputably took over the starting job from the aforementioned Sendejo. Ever since then, Harris has been the bonafide free safety opposite Harrison Smith. The experiment has been rather triumphant.
Harris pulled down six interceptions in 2019 and this tied for the lead the NFL. However, he was still snubbed for Pro Bowl recognition and he was ignored in the latest NFL Top 100 list. But one more season of consistent output should create some bigger blips on national radars.
Adam Thielen – WR
Death, taxes, and Adam Thielen undrafted stories.
You know the details, fables, and emotional tugs at your tear ducts. We’ll stick to the numbers.
Thielen was designated a full-time starter in 2016, three years after he wiggled his way onto Minnesota’s practice squad. Between the years of 2014 and 2016, Thielen primarily played special teams and he polished his bootstraps because they were about to levitate in front of the general public.
In his four years as a starter, Thielen has banked the 12th-most receiving yards in the NFL, besting high-profile talents like Amari Cooper, Odell Beckham, Stefon Diggs, and Tyler Lockett. His 24 receiving touchdowns are 14th-most in the business, and his catch ratio of 69.7 percent is sixth-best among players that have caught at least 250 passes.
His running mate, Diggs, left town for the Empire State via trade back in March. This upcoming season will be Thielen’s first opportunity to be the unquestionable leader of the Vikings wide receiver room.
Not too bad for a Division II guy from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, which has a population under 10,000.