Last weekend, all eyes were on Minnesota Vikings rookies like Donovan Jackson, Kobe King, and Tai Felton in the team's 2025 preseason opener. One undrafted rookie might not have been seen as often, but he proved to be the best of the rookies on the Vikings in their 20-10 preseason win over the Houston Texans.
Minnesota rookie guard Joe Huber shone the brightest on the field as PFF's highest-graded rookie on the team in the exhibition contest. In fact, Huber had the second-highest overall grade among every NFL rookie in Week 1 of the preseason with a 94.7, according to PFF's Lauren Gray.
"Huber led all guards in PFF run-blocking grade in preseason Week 1 (93.9), thanks to an outstanding 90.5 zone PFF run-blocking grade. He also tallied the third-best gap run-blocking grade (76.8).
Huber gave up a sack and a quarterback hit in pass protection but still finished with a solid 77.8 PFF pass-blocking grade across 32 pass-blocking snaps."
Was the performance enough for Joe Huber to make the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster?
The former Cincinnati Bearcat and Wisconsin Badger already had an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie this year. Last week, Huber was listed as the third-string left guard when the Vikings shared their first unofficial depth chart.
With 15 offensive linemen fighting for roster spots, Huber will have to do a lot more than perform well in one game. It was enough, though, to keep him in the conversation and at the top of everyone's minds within the organization.
The tricky part for Huber is that the two guys in front of them are first-round pick Jackson and last year's starter, Blake Brandel. It's going to be tough to beat with Jackson being selected to be a Year 1 starter, and Brandel, despite his struggles with penalties last year, is still a veteran who knows the offense well.
Huber proved the strength of his game is in run blocking, as he did enough damage to help the Vikings' run game finish with 86 yards on 30 carries. On a team that is highly focused on protecting its new franchise quarterback, the pass blocking will need some improvement, but he still received a high grade.
It won't be easy for Huber, as he has a lot of work ahead of him to secure the 53rd spot on the roster, but his performance in Week 1 of the preseason against Houston is a good starting point.