The Minnesota Vikings' list of UDFA signings after the 2026 NFL Draft features some interesting players, and a few who could force some tough decisions to be made when the initial 53-man roster is whittled down.
Over the years, the Vikings have used the NFL's International Player Pathway Program as much as any team in the league. It hasn't borne fruit yet, but that shouldn't prevent them from trying to unearth a gem other teams have overlooked.
Punter Brett Thorson was among the undrafted rookies the Vikings signed. There's a strong case that he should have been drafted, so an opportunity to bring him in was already taken advantage of by the Rob Brzezinski-led front office.
Thorson is from Australia, so the Vikings have subsequently received a roster exemption for him via the IPPP. That means he doesn't count against the 90-man offseason roster limit, so he's essentially an extra, free square on the roster board as the Vikings figure out who will stick around.
Brett Thorson might just come in and take a job away from a Minnesota Vikings veteran
The Vikings reshuffled their punter spot this offseason. Veteran Johnny Hekker was signed to replace Ryan Wright, who signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency.
While Hekker's best days are behind him at 36 years old, he felt as locked into a job as anyone on the Vikings' roster entering the draft. The addition of Thorson, the reigning Ray Guy Award winner who averaged 45.6 yards per punt over his career at Georgia, notably changed that equation.
With that in mind, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has named Thorson as the Vikings' UDFA who is most likely to make their 53-man roster.
"It was surprising to see former Georgia punter Brett Thorson go undrafted. The 207th-ranked prospect on the B/R board is the reigning Ray Guy Award winner and was a first-team All-American this past season."
"Thorson averaged an impressive 45.6 yards per punt over his four years with the Bulldogs. He should immediately challenge free-agent addition Johnny Hekker for the starting gig in Minnesota."
"Hekker is a four-time first-team All-Pro but turned 36 in February and has seen a dip in efficiency in recent years. A career-high nine percent of his punts resulted in touchbacks this past season, while only 28.2 percent (his lowest rate since 2013) were downed inside the 20."
The last of Hekker's four first-team All-Pro nods was in 2017. A general downward trend in his performance reached a cliff with the Tennessee Titans last season, with numbers among the worst (if not the worst) of his career in just about everything except gross yards per punt.
Enter Thorson, who is, of course, younger, has a fresher leg, and garnered good reviews for his improvement as a precision punter during his final college season.
Thorson practically has to be considered the favorite to win the Vikings' punting job now. If the competition is done on an equal playing field, Hekker will have to show he's the better player, not just the most experienced.
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