EAGAN, Minn. – The more you can do, the saying goes.
Well, Vikings fifth-round draft pick Zach Davidson was drafted as a tight end and brings plenty to the table at that position, but it s worth noting he also served as Central Missouri s punter for three seasons.
According to Davidson, he first became a team s primary punter as a sophomore in high school. It just kind of grew into my niche in high school since we were a limited offense, he told Twin Cities media members after being drafted. I was a vertical-threat tight end in high school but tall and scrawny, so I stayed in my lane punting, and it ultimately got me to the Division II [level] in college.
Minnesota Vikings Sign a Tight End from Minnesota State
A previous signing from Minnesota State worked out well for the Vikings.
The Vikings announced today that they have signed tight end Shane Zylstra from Minnesota State in Mankato. Zylstra is a native Minnesotan from Spicer, Minnesota, and went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Zylstra was a four-year starter at Minnesota State and is the school s all-time leader in receptions with 227, receiving yards with 4,297, and touchdown catches with 54.
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In 2019, Zylstra led Division II and established single-season school records with 81 receptions for 1,676 yards and 18 touchdown receptions and earned All-American honors. The record of 81 broke the previous record of 74 which was held by another member of the Minnesota Vikings and another Minnesota State undrafted free agent, and Minnesota native from Detroit Lakes, Adam Thielen.
Vikings Add Local Product Shane Zylstra to Roster
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The Minnesota Vikings aren’t afraid to roll the dice on homegrown, unnoticed talent. This is illustrated by the storybook story of Adam Thielen, everybody’s favorite dental equipment salesman turned Pro Bowl wide receiver. They hope the same success with fellow Minnesota State alumni Shane Zylstra, a tight end, who just inked a deal to come to Minnesota as an undrafted free agent.
Zylstra has more connections to the Vikings than Thielen. His brother Brandon was with the Vikings for the entirety of the 2018 season. Brandon recorded one catch for 23 yards in a Vikings 37-17 victory over the New York Jets that year. He also returned 4 punts for an average of 6.5 yards and 1 kick for a return of 15 yards. The elder Zylstra is now with the Carolina Panthers where he has had more opportunity, but he has yet to crack 200 career receiving yards or score a touchdown.
Grading the Vikings Draft
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2021/5/4/22420218/draft-analysis
I wanted to look at the draft from a different angle, that of draft performance. Did the Vikings maximize the draft? It isn t as simple as judging Trader Rick s performance because it includes player value and that involves scouting. It is a team effort and a team result.
There are lots of places that are grading the drafts of all the teams and some of the results are surprising. I want to do the truest and most accurate of draft grades, almost scientific, depending on logic.
Obviously, players that we and the teams believe will be great will often fail and vice versa. Often the #4 player at a position will be the top pro and so on. Without a crystal ball (and the appropriate amount of magic inside it) we cannot yet know how things will turn out. But we can still grade performance based on some logical measures.
The Stefon Diggs-Justin Jefferson Trade (And Others) Became Complete During The 2021 Draft
With the draft in the rearview, we can fully evaluate the Diggs trade and a few others from GM Rick Spielman.
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May 7, 2021
13 months and change after it happened, the blockbuster deal that sent Stefon Diggs to the Bills became complete during the 2021 NFL Draft. Three of the six players the Vikings added on Day 3 of this year s draft were taken with picks that came, one way or another, from that huge March 2020 deal.
In the fourth round, the Vikings took Cal defensive back Camryn Bynum with a pick that they got from trading one of the Diggs picks last year. Then they took Florida State edge rusher Janarius Robinson with a pick that came directly from Buffalo. Even fifth-round tight end Zach Davidson was taken with a pick acquired in a 2020 draft day deal that involved one of the Diggs picks.