Can UDFA Jake Bargas Successfully Move From Tight End To Fullback?
As we count down the days until the Vikings' opener against the Packers on September 13th, InsideTheVikings will be previewing every single player on the roster. Next up is the team's new backup fullback who played a different position in college.
No. 40: Jake Bargas (Fullback)
- College: North Carolina
- Drafted: 2020 UDFA
- NFL experience: N/A
- Age: 23
- Size: 6'2", 250
- 2019 stats (NCAA): 3 catches, 15 yards, 1 touchdown
- Career stats (NCAA): 21 catches, 189 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 tackles
It seems like every member of the Vikings' UDFA class has some sort of interesting backstory or aspect of their game that stands out. Dan Chisena was a star sprinter in college. Blake Lynch played five different positions. Jake Lacina was a D-II star and is the son of a former Viking. The list goes on.
Jake Bargas is no different. The former North Carolina tight end is similar to Chisena and Nakia Griffin-Stewart in that his college stats don't scream "NFL player." But the Vikings are looking for potential in their undrafted free agents, and they think Bargas has that – just not at tight end. The Vikings have moved Bargas to fullback, where the 6'2", 250-pounder can put his blocking skills to use.
Bargas was a three-star recruit coming out of high school in Boca Raton, FL. After redshirting for a year, he played in 48 games from 2016 to 2019, serving as a blocking-first tight end for the Tar Heels. Bargas never exceeded eight catches or 80 receiving yards in a season, but his impact was felt in other ways. He excelled as a blocker, played on special teams, and served as a glue guy for the team. When Bargas did make catches, they sometimes came in spectacular fashion. His first career college catch came in his redshirt freshman year on a tipped pass from Mitch Trubisky, and his career highlight came in 2018 on a tipped Hail Mary.
For the Vikings, Bargas enters camp as the backup to Pro Bowler C.J. Ham. Last year's UDFA backup fullback, Khari Blasingame, was highly impressive in the preseason, got snatched off of the Vikings' practice squad by the Titans in November, and wound up playing in the playoffs. Without any preseason games, Bargas will have a hard time following that path. But if he turns heads in training camp practices, the Vikings could take advantage of expanded practice squads to keep Bargas around in the event of an injury to Ham.
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