The 2026 NFL Draft is over. The Minnesota Vikings filled plenty of holes on their roster with the nine players they selected.
After the draft concluded, the Vikings' front office was busy and signed 19 players who weren't chosen. In past years, a handful of these undrafted players have not just made the practice squad, but also have made the 53-man roster.
Who are the four who have the best shot to achieve that accomplishment in 2026?
4 Minnesota Vikings UDFAs with the best shot to make the final 2026 roster
Scooby Williams - LB (Texas A&M)
The Vikings took a linebacker in the second round of the draft in Jake Golday. He's a versatile threat who might actually play more edge in year one. That leaves the depth still very shaky behind Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson, allowing for an undrafted rookie to crack the roster in Scooby Williams.
Williams has good size, standing 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds. He excels in coverage as he's a fluid mover and is a tough, high-character player. He had 132 tackles during his tenures at Florida and Texas A&M, but he only had two career sacks and two interceptions.
There are definitely reasons why he fell out of the draft, but he may have found himself in an ideal spot to make his NFL dream come true.
Ivan Pace Jr. may not make the final roster this year, as he was demoted to a special teamer a season ago. As stated above, Golday may be more of an edge in year one, meaning that Williams just has to beat out Pace, Jacob Roberts, and Josh Ross for a spot on the final 53-man roster.
That is definitely doable if Williams can show enough promise during the summer.
Shaleak Knotts - WR (Maryland)
Many thought Minnesota would draft a wide receiver at some point in the 2026 NFL Draft. Not only that, but some even didn't rule out it being the Vikings' choice with the 18th overall pick.
It was seen as a secondary need with a lot of question marks at the WR3 spot after Jalen Nailor signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, and with the lack of development from Tai Felton in his first year in the league.
Minnesota mildly surprised their fans when they didn't use a single one of their nine selections on the position. It was reported they were looking for a big-bodied receiver who could play on the outside, allowing Jordan Addison to be a terror in the slot.
They may have found an ideal candidate to fill that role when they signed undrafted Shaleak Knotts out of Maryland.
Knotts is a big dude, standing 6-foot-3 and 194 pounds, and ran blazing 40-yard dash times of 4.32 and 4.34 seconds at his Pro Day. Knotts was a bit of a late bloomer at Maryland, not really producing much until his final two years in college.
He really came on as a senior, finishing with 717 receiving yards and six touchdowns. In addition to his size and speed, Knotts has long, lanky arms that he can use to snatch the ball at its high point.
Knotts' chances of making the roster are pretty good. He provides the needed size, and there isn't anyone overly daunting for him to usurp on the depth chart.
If he has a good preseason, there's no reason he can't beat out Tai Felton, Jeshaun Jones, Dontae Fleming, or Myles Price.
Knotts is definitely one to keep an eye on in camp and should be looked at as a frontrunner for finding a spot on the 2026 Vikings.
Brett Thorson - P (Georgia)
Thorson has a solid chance to make Minnesota's final roster because he only has to be out one man. Granted, that man is all-pro punter Johnny Hekker. But this isn't Hekker of 10 years ago, it's the Hekker in the twilight of his career at age 36
It will be a challenging feat for Thorson to accomplish, but the Vikings' last punter, Ryan Wright, earned his spot on the team in a similar way for the same head coach, so it's not impossible.
Thorson has the skillset to make this achievable. He won the 2025 Ray Guy Award for the nation's best punter. Thorson has a big, booming leg and has shown consistency throughout his career.
He excels at pinning opponents inside the 20 with his excellent directional punting. Thorson has averaged 45.6 yards per punt over his tenure with the Bulldogs.
He's also got a bit of dawg in him as he's a very good open-field tackler who isn't afraid to lay a hit.
This could end up being a true competition in camp, and Thorson could surprise and unseat the veteran.
Marcus Allen - CB (North Carolina)
Brian Flores loves his big cornerbacks, as evidenced by the team drafting Charles Demmings in the fifth round. They added more size after the draft with Marcus Allen from North Carolina.
Allen is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds with 4.5 speed to go along with that. He was a three-year starter at UNC and appeared in 51 games. He got to be coached by NFL legend Bill Belichick, which doesn't hurt on a resume.
Allen can cover like glue and is a willing tackler with 137 during his time with the Tar Heels. He has also broken up 22 passes and intercepted three balls.
Allen was expected to be selected somewhere between the sixth and seventh round, so the fact that Minnesota was able to get him after the draft shows they got some real value.
It looks like there could be a spot on the Vikings' corner depth chart if Allen can put together a solid preseason. Obviously, Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre aren't going anywhere, but after that, things aren't so certain.
Charles Demmings is likely going to make the team as a fifth-round selection, but Allen could challenge for the fifth cornerback spot.
For that slot, he'd be competing against Tavierre Thomas, Dwight McGlothern, and Zemaiah Vaughn. Not a single one of those players is guaranteed a spot, and when the dust settles this August, it could be Allen with his name as cornerback five on the depth chart.
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