Inside The Vikings

Vikings UDFA profile: Ben Yurosek is firmly in Minnesota's TE3 battle

Yurosek was a prized UDFA despite a quiet season at Georgia.
Will Ragatz|
Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Ben Yurosek (84) runs after a catch against the Tennessee Volunteers in the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium.
Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Ben Yurosek (84) runs after a catch against the Tennessee Volunteers in the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

With Vikings training camp coming up, we're going to help you prepare by introducing you to some of the unheralded names on the roster: the undrafted rookies. Throughout July, we're taking a look at several of Minnesota's intriguing UDFA additions this year.

Vikings UDFA profile: Georgia TE Ben Yurosek

  • Age: 23
  • Size: 6'4", 245
  • RAS: 8.02
  • 2024 stats: 15 catches, 185 yards
  • Previous school: Stanford
  • Guaranteed money: $249,000
Ben Yurosek's Relative Athletic Score
Ben Yurosek's Relative Athletic Score | Kent Lee Platte (ras.football)

Ben Yurosek looked like a possible future first-round pick when he burst onto the scene with 43 receptions, 658 yards, and three touchdowns as a sophomore at Stanford in 2021. The former four-star high school recruit has real speed and acceleration as a 6'4" receiving tight end. He caught another 49 passes for 445 yards the following year. Then, after missing half of the 2023 season due to injury, he transferred to Georgia, who had just lost star TE Brock Bowers to the draft.

Things didn't go to plan for Yurosek in his one season with the Bulldogs. He was used mostly as a blocker and only caught 15 passes all season, five of which came in one game. Thus, he wound up going undrafted, even though some analysts still forecasted him as a Day 3 pick.

Yurosek was a major priority for the Vikings in college free agency. They gave him $254,000 in guaranteed money, the second-highest total of any of their UDFAs this year (Tyler Batty). Despite the down season at Georgia, he's a big-time athlete at the TE position who can run quality routes and catch the ball. One sign of his athletic juice is that he had 114 rushing yards on 14 carries in college, highlighted by a 50-yard end-around in 2022. Yurosek is also a capable blocker who developed in that area last season.

Behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver, the Vikings' TE3 competition looks wide open as they enter training camp. Yurosek actually received more guaranteed money than sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew, who missed much of the offseason program while recovering from an injury. Those two are probably the favorites in that battle for a roster spot, which also includes veteran Giovanni Ricci and another intriguing UDFA in Bryson Nesbit.

Vikings estimated TE depth chart

  • T.J. Hockenson
  • Josh Oliver
  • Gavin Bartholomew (rookie)
  • Ben Yurosek (rookie)
  • Giovanni Ricci
  • Bryson Nesbit (rookie)

Previous UDFA profiles

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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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