The focus in Vikings Nation has been on the quarterback mystery between Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy. Both guys entered the bye week with injuries, but only one of them is ready for the full workload, and that’s the veteran. McCarthy will be the emergency quarterback.
Vikings Rookie Set to Make His NFL Debut
Other position groups have gotten healthier over the last two weeks, too. That includes the offensive line that could get Brian O’Neill, Donovan Jackson, and Michael Jurgens back, while Christian Darrisaw had two weeks to get into better shape following his ACL recovery.
On the defensive side of the ball, Harrison Smith will be further along in his conditioning, and Blake Cashman will make his return after an IR stint. Unfortunately, Andrew Van Ginkel will be sidelined once more.
But good news arrived on Saturday, as another pass-rusher is ready to enter the mix. Undrafted first-year defender Tyler Batty has been activated from IR, the team announced.
Vikings writer Craig Peters noted, “The Vikings on Saturday announced the activations of linebacker Blake Cashman and outside linebacker Tyler Batty from Injured Reserve. Batty joined the Vikings as an undrafted rookie out of BYU. A knee injury during the preseason landed him on Injured Reserve as the Vikings were making their roster reductions.”
Undrafted out of BYU, Batty joined the club with some post-draft hype. He went unclaimed in April’s draft, but was viewed as one of the premier players in the pool of undrafted players.
In his five seasons at BYU, Batty secured 16.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. He also registered 224 tackles.
Batty led the Vikings’ UDFA class with $259,000 in guaranteed money.
Listed at 6’6″ and 271 pounds, Batty ran a 4.78 40-yard dash. Some considered him a draftable prospect, so it’s no surprise he’s generating some buzz.
Let’s check what draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the player he deemed good enough to be a 6th or 7th-rounder.
“Batty has played standing on occasion, but he will be a 4-3, strong-side defensive end in the NFL. He’s densely muscled and plays with consistent aggression at the point. He hustles in pursuit, too. He has some snap in his initial punch but lacks the length and twitch quickness to get away from blocks quickly and will succumb to power from tackles. He creates pressure with hops and euro-steps to gain ground. He has strong hands to discard the punch but won’t beat most pro tackles with speed or power. He’s an older rookie and an effort player, but it’s not clear if he’ll have the physical gifts or skill level to become a ‘make it’ prospect.”
Without Van Ginkel, the Vikings will rely on the starting duo of Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner. Behind them, it’s been a mix of young defenders. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who has inside/outside flexibility, has played some edge snaps. Bo Richter and Chaz Chambliss are other options, and so is practice squad defender Gabriel Murphy.
Batty could join the group of backups on Sunday. He’s already 26 years old, but his NFL return is close.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
