Vikings UDFAs

The selection of draft-eligible college football players doesn't end with the NFL Draft. As soon as the last pick is announced team's a scramble to sign many of the players that weren't selected. The scrambling can even turn into bidding wars. In the NFL scheme of things these aren't expensive bidding wars. Here's a look at the undrafted football players that the Minnesota Vikings signed.

Undrafted Free Agents Signed
Kyle Carter, TE, Penn State
Jake  Ganus, LB, Georgia
Brandon Ross, RB, Maryland
Jhurrel Pressley, RB, New Mexico
Eric Rawls, CB, Kentucky State
Keith Baxter, CB, Marshall
Thieren Cockran, DE, Minnesota
Joel Stave, QB, Wisconsin
Marken Michel, WR, Massachusetts
Denzell Perine, DE, Florida International

Mini Camp Invites
Qujuan Floyd, S, Iowa State
Joshua Gordon, DE, Mankato State
Marquise Williams, QB, North Carolina
Tyler Henderson, LB, Mankato State
Brandon Zylstra, WR, Concordia
Ben LeCompte, P, North Dakota State
C.J. Ham, RB, Augustana
Lawrence Walker, T, Mankato State
Cole Spurgeon, RB, College School of Mines
Jon Desir, DT, Towson
Jordan Halverson, LB, Concordia
Edwin Young, DB, Northern Iowa
Solomon St. Pierre, DB, Sioux Falls
Nick Lee, TE, Augustana
Graham Stuart, LB, Connecticut
Matt Boyce, LB, Gustavus Adolphus

The eight players that the Vikings selected in the 2016 NFL Draft boosted their roster to 79. The 11 players signed after the draft brought the roster to the 90-player limit. That's why the remaining 15 players only received mini camp invites. An opportunity to impress. If any of those 15 players do impress they might force the Vikings to adjust the roster accordingly.

The further from the first pick a player gets the longer the road to the NFL. That doesn't necessarily mean that the dream ends for those that weren't drafted. As long as a team is willing to take a look at a player the dream is still alive. Just ask current Vikings players Marcus Sherels and Adam Thielen. Each started their NFL career with a Mini Camp invite. An opportunity. Or former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle. He went from undrafted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Good luck to every football player with a dream.