Inside The Vikings

Vikings add Penn State LB, Pitt TE with back-to-back picks in sixth round

The Vikings' draft class is complete after adding depth at a couple positions with consecutive selections.
Will Ragatz|
Vikings sixth-round draft picks Kobe King (left) and Gavin Bartholomew (right).
Vikings sixth-round draft picks Kobe King (left) and Gavin Bartholomew (right). | Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have wrapped up their 2025 draft class by selecting Penn State linebacker Kobe King and Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew with picks 201 and 202 in the sixth round, respectively.

King was projected by some to go earlier than this. He's an excellent run defender who was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last season after recording 97 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. He also forced a fumble.

At 6'1", 236 pounds, King is a solid, compactly-built athlete with a quick first step coming downhill. He's a physical run defender who can sift through blocks and make plays near the line of scrimmage. He also has the skill set to be used as a blitzer, but he's not an elite athlete and he struggles in coverage, which helps explain why he fell to the sixth round. King was a team captain for the Nittany Lions last season.

With the Vikings, the 22-year-old Detroit native projects as a depth linebacker and special teams contributor early in his career. He and Brian Asamoah II figure to compete for LB4 duties behind Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., and Eric Wilson. Asamoah is in the final year of his rookie contract and far from a lock to make the 53-man roster, especially after this addition.

Bartholomew is a 6'4", 246-pound tight end who is now just the Vikings' third player on the roster at that position, behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. He recorded 105 catches for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns across four seasons with Pitt, with remarkable consistency — he had between 283 and 326 yards each year. He's a very good athlete for the position, with 4.7 speed and good combine results in the jumps and agility tests. He was also a team captain last year.

In Minnesota, Bartholomew can be a depth tight end who will need to contribute as a blocker to see the field. He got progressively better in that area throughout his college career. He's got intangibles and some receiving upside due to his hands and general athleticism.

Now the Vikings will turn their focus towards undrafted free agency.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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