Surprise Playmaker Is Already Turning Heads at Vikings Training Camp

Training camp is full of surprises, including this TE's standout performance.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is likely impressed with how this young pass-catcher has performed early at training camp. | USA TODAY Sports

It's been a few days since the Vikings opened their 2026 training camp, with the first practices set for Saturday to mark "Back Together Weekend." It won't be much longer until head coach Kevin O'Connell's 53-man roster takes shape, meaning it's crucial for every bubble player to capitalize on each opportunity they see between training camp and the preseason.

One Viking who'll be looking to prove himself throughout the summer is tight end Gavin Bartholomew. Minnesota's 2025 sixth-round selection is somewhat of a question mark after missing his entire rookie season due to a back injury. A situation like that would usually spell bad news for an unproven player, especially one who was a late-round pick.

Gavin Bartholomew is one young player who's looking to prove himself to the Vikings after missing his entire rookie season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Instead, Bartholomew is seemingly overcoming any uphill battle he might've faced to begin training camp, giving the Vikings a lot to think about moving forward.

Gavin Bartholomew is making an early impact at Vikings training camp

A conclusion can't be drawn from a single day of practice; however, the early reviews of Bartholomew's training camp performance should fill Vikings fans with optimism for his outlook.

In his recap of Wednesday's practice, Bring Me The Sports' Will Ragatz noted how Bartholomew came together on a pair of passes from quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has his own worth to prove. First, the second-year TE caught a pass from McCarthy "over the middle in 7s," followed up by another completion during 11-on-11 drills.

The Athletic's Alec Lewis also lamented that "Bartholomew looked really good" and "moved well" throughout practice.

Semi-random Vikings camp takeaway, but I thought TE Gavin Bartholomew looked really good. Made two impressive over the middle catches. Moved well. First time really seeing him out there after back injury happened last year.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) July 30, 2026

It's a small sample size, sure, but that's the immediate impact that the former Pittsburgh Panther needed to make early in the Vikings' training camp. No one would have been surprised if he started slowly, especially after dealing with a back injury that could've shot his confidence. Bartholomew had other plans, though, and it'll be interesting to see what that means for his outlook with the team.

Bartholomew's outlook with the Vikings

The top of the Vikings' tight end depth chart is set for the 2026 season, with T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver operating as the TE1 and TE2, respectively. That leaves Bartholomew to compete for the TE3 spot, with his competition being Ben Yurosek, Marshall Lang and Bryson Nesbit.

Once a captain at the University of Pittsburgh, Bartholomew showed a bit of upside during his collegiate career. He converted 105 receptions into 1,257 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns over 50 games, which included finishing the 2024 campaign with a personal-best 38 catches. Bartholomew also demonstrated some upside in run protection during that season, posting a career-high 52.7 run-block grade on Pro Football Focus.

Gavin Bartholomew showed promise as a pass-catcher during his time at Pittsburgh; however, he'll need to improve his blocking to stick around at the NFL level. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As for Bartholomew's competition, Yurosek is back for Year 2 after catching two balls for 14 receiving yards in 12 games (one start) with the Vikings as a rookie. He also had PFF grades of 62.6 and 79.6 in run and pass protection, respectively, which could give him a further edge.

Meanwhile, Lang is still looking to make his NFL debut after bouncing back and forth between the Patriots' and Seahawks' practice squads throughout the 2025 season. Nesbit also hasn't seen meaningful action yet after going undrafted last year, but the fact that he spent the entire season on the Vikings' practice squad means that some familiarity is there.

Without an NFL track record of his own, Bartholomew must continue to string together strong practice performances to remain in the mix to crack Minnesota's 53-man roster. If he can replicate what he did on Wednesday more often than not, there's a good chance that the second-year TE could play a key role in the Vikings' offense this fall.

That said, Bartholomew's future is in his hands.