Minnesota

Vikings

The official decision comes nearly a month after EVP Rob Brzezinski said the team was planning to do so. It’s been an up-and-down start for Addison through the first three years of his career. The former No. 23 overall pick has tallied a career receiving line of 175-2,396-22 in his career while playing opposite Justin Jefferson, with his best season (70-911-10) coming as a rookie. Addison missed three games last season due to a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing charges earlier this offseason. While it wouldn’t be surprising if he and the Vikings eventually hammer out an extension, Addison may need to play out his contract through the 2027 season if he hopes to land the long-term deal.

Bell (6’1”/209) is a fourth-year prospect who made his name as an explosive playmaker despite never totaling more than 466 receiving yards in a season. Physically, Bell looks the part of an NFL receiver, but he’ll likely settle in more as a gadget player and special teams contributor, as we saw with the Bulldogs. Bell caught just 119 passes in 56 career games at Georgia, but also saw manufactured touches on the ground, posting a career rushing line of 51-373-5. Bell can make big plays with the ball in his hands, but he saw just 185 career targets while running 1,058 career routes, per PFF, and has a 9.8 percent drop rate – neither of which is impressive. He’s unlikely to ever command a significant offensive role/target share, but Bell has brief experience as a kick returner (6-160-0), and will likely push for a special teams role in camp.

Allen (6'2/187) worked his way into the Tar Heels’ starting lineup late in his 2022 freshman year and never relinquished the role. He led the team twice in passes defended, yet has just three career interceptions. Allen, 22, ran a 4.50-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine and produced a 39” vertical jump. He has special teams experience, which will help give him a leg up on a 53-man roster spot, though the practice squad remains his most likely 2026 home.

Thorson (6’1/237) grew up playing Australian football in Melbourne, Australia. He attended ProKick Academy — a developmental program for Australians looking to punt in college football and eventually the pros — but never played organized football before joining Georgia. He earned the starting role as a freshman in 2022 and held it for four years. Thorson was a Ray Guy finalist in 2024 and won the nation’s top punter award in 2025. He has enough leg to hit bombs and also brings some finesse to the table, as is often the case with former Aussie rules and rugby players. He could develop into a top-end punter in the pros with more experience.

Gerhardt spent five seasons with the Bearcats, playing in 53 games at various offensive line positions, primarily at center. Gerhardt was a central part of a Cincy offensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as the nation’s eighth best run blocking unit in 2025. In 2024, Cincinnati was top-20 in pass blocking grade, per PFF. Gerhardt will join a Vikings offensive line that ranked in the top half of PFF’s grades in 2025.

Demmings (6’1/193) profiles as a press-heavy boundary defender with four years of steady ball production, allowing just 69 receptions on 146 targets (47.3%) for 1,019 yards across 1,104 coverage snaps in his career. His 2025 campaign (48.6% completion rate, 80.4 coverage grade) showcased improved efficiency at the catch point, though his 13.7 yards per reception allowed and inconsistent eye discipline in off coverage still created volatility on intermediate and vertical concepts. Demmings pairs length with fluid hips to stay attached in-phase, generating disruption through timing and ball tracking rather than elite short-area twitch. His athletic profile backs the upside with a 9.10 RAS featuring elite explosion and 4.41s speed, though his 7.28 three-cone (23rd%) underscores the stiffness that shows up against sharp route breaks.

Bredeson (6’2”/252) joined Michigan as a walk-on in 2021 but found himself serving as a weekly contributor by 2022. In 2023, the TE/H-back appeared in all 15 games for the national champion Wolverines, helping to pave the way for a two-headed rushing attack that averaged 169.1 rushing yards per game while the offense finished the season ranked 14th in points per game. The younger brother of Buccaneers offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, Bredeson is a willing and able run blocker whose size can impact the running game. Bredson only has 12 career offensive touches to his name, all of which came in the passing game. The Vikings announced him as a tight end when they selected him in the fifth round.

Thomas (6’1/211) is a high-volume, downhill safety with a sturdy frame and respectable athletic profile (7.32 RAS, 4.57 speed, 75th percentile) that shows up in his aggressive trigger and box presence. He logged 774 snaps in 2025, producing 58 tackles with 22 stops and 14 pressures, underscoring his role as a hybrid run defender/blitzer who consistently inserts into the front. In coverage, Thomas was targeted 50 times, allowing 31 receptions for 340 yards and a strong 89.1 coverage grade, but his 19.4 percent missed tackle rate and 11.0 yards per reception reflect volatility on the back end. Across his career (1,133 yards allowed on 94 catches), Thomas has paired opportunistic ball production (nine INTs, 16 PBUs per scouting profile) with inconsistent deep discipline, occasionally surrendering explosives due to over-aggressive eyes. Thomas projects as a rotational strong safety and sub-package chess piece whose downhill playmaking and blitz utility fit best in split-safety or pressure-heavy schemes, though his range limitations and tackling inefficiency cap his ceiling.

Tiernan (6’8/323) is a highly experienced offensive lineman and former team captain who started games at both tackle spots during his collegiate career. In 2025 he logged 398 pass-blocking reps while allowing pressure on just 2.5 percent of those snaps with four sacks attributed. Having logged nearly 3,000 career snaps, Tiernan consistently demonstrated strong technique and pass protection efficiency, highlighted by a career-best 88.9 pass-blocking mark in 2024 before posting an 84.3 pass-blocking grade in 2025. A tall but compact blocker with good lean mass and core strength, Tiernan wins with well-timed punches, strong hand placement and the lateral quickness to mirror rushers in space. His ability to take efficient angles in the run game and move effectively on screens adds value in zone-based schemes, though shorter arms (32-inch) and occasional anchor issues may limit his ceiling. With extensive starting experience and notable pass-protection chops, Tiernan projects as a potential guard/swing tackle whose technique and versatility could allow him to compete for a starting role at the next level.

Orange (6’2/322) is a power-based, space-eater whose evaluation hinges more on disruption flashes than box-score production, logging 32 tackles, three tackles for loss and four total havoc plays across 12 games in 2025. A two-time “Freaks List” weight-room standout, Orange translates his elite strength into jarring initial contact, using long arms and heavy hands to generate knockback and control the point of attack when his pad level is right. He wins with extension and upper-body torque, consistently absorbing double teams with a sturdy lower half, but Orange’s pass-rush profile is limited, producing zero sacks in 2025 and struggling to convert push into pressure due to late shed timing and a lack of secondary counters. He plays too tall through contact, which compromises his leverage and finishing ability in tight quarters, while conditioning and effort consistency remain lingering concerns when plays flow away from him. Orange projects best as a 1-technique nose or shaded interior anchor in a 4-3 front, where his strength, length and block-eating presence can maximize his value as a rotational run defender.