Tag: Ben Sims

Breaking down the Vikings UDFA signings

The Minnesota Vikings brought in 15 UDFA signings. @TheKevinFielder provides an introduction with a brief synopsis of all 15.

While hearing their name called during the NFL Draft is the dream of every college prospect, some don’t get that luxury.

With just 259 draft picks, more players find themselves waiting after Saturday’s conclusion to find their chance. Often forgotten, these undrafted free agents come into the NFL with limited expectations but high hopes.

Over the years, a laundry list of undrafted free agents have carved out long careers, including former Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle, John Randle.

This season, the Vikings signed 15 players to an undrafted free-agent deal. These players will go through the off-season program, hoping to make the team’s 53-man roster before the regular season begins.

Here are each of those signings.

2023 Vikings undrafted free agent tracker

After selecting six players in the 2023 NFL Draft, the race begins for undrafted free agents. Here is everyone the Vikings have signed.

The 2023 NFL draft is officially complete! The Minnesota Vikings entered the draft with five selections and finished making six selections

Once the seventh round starts, teams will begin calling players about signing as an undrafted free agent. Teams will offer signing bonuses to convince them to sign. The Vikings entered the weekend with 23 open roster spots and they will likely sign a big undrafted free agent class.

Here at Vikings Wire, we will be tracking all of them leading up to

Packers host official pre-draft visit with Baylor TE Ben Sims

The Packers hosted an official top-30 visit with Baylor tight end Ben Sims on Wednesday.

The Green Bay Packers hosted an official top-30 visit with Baylor tight end Ben Sims ahead of the 2023 NFL draft on Wednesday.

The list of reported pre-draft visits for the Packers can be found here: Tracking Packers; official pre-draft visits ahead of 2023 NFL draft.

Sims (6-4, 250) caught 78 passes for 785 yards and 12 touchdowns over 43 games and 30 starts at Baylor. He was an All-Big 12 selection in both 2021 and 2022, when he caught 62 total passes and scored nine of his 12 touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sims dropped only two passes on 42 targets, forced five missed tackles and caught one pass over 20 yards in the air in 2022. He averaged under 1.0 yards per route run (poor) and received poor run-blocking grades.

Although not invited to the combine, Sims ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds, hit 36″ in the vertical leap, covered 10-2 in the broad jump, finished the three-cone drill in 7.46 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.41 seconds and completed 15 reps on the 225-pound bench press at Baylor’s pro day.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic rates Sims as the 26th-best tight end in the draft class and a likely priority free agent following the draft.

The Packers could see Sims as a player with the size and athleticism to develop at tight end, a position lacking depth and talent entering the draft. Green Bay has seven picks on Day 3 if Sims is a draftable player on the Packers’ draft board.

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