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How Vikings big UDFA signing Tyler Batty can be an impact player with a potential defensive shift on the horizon

Posted on May 23, 2025 - 4:07 pm by

One area where the Minnesota Vikings have excelled is with the undrafted free agent process. Over the course of the last three years under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, eight undrafted free agents have made the team.

There are two common themes throughout the eight players:

All of them are on defense At least one edge rusher has made the team each year

This year, the one player who fits the bill more than others is edge rusher Tyler Batty.

UDFA Tyler Batty gives Vikings interesting profile on defensive line

The Vikings have a tendency to give a lot of money to undrafted free agents in Adofo-Mensah’s tenure, and Batty got the most of everyone, with $234k in guaranteed salary, and $25k in signing bonus. Multiple players ended up getting the $234k in guaranteed salary, as it’s what they would make on the practice squad.

Batty is an older prospect having just turned 26 years old right after the NFL Draft, which stems from partaking in a Mormon mission before starting school at BYU. Being 26 isn’t that big of a deal when it comes to an undrafted free agent.

Let’s start the conversation about Batty with why he went undrafted. The biggest reason other than age is his athletic profile. His Relative Athletic Score is high, but a lot of that is size and strength based paired with a good broad jump. His speed and agility scores aren’t great, and that shows up on tape.

One of the ways that the lack of athleticism shows up is when he rushes the passer. Ideally, you want a quick-twitch athlete able to get off the ball quickly. Unfortunately, that’s not Batty.

What Batty does bring to the table is effort and understanding of technique. He’s got over 33″ arms and prevents blockers from getting in on him. Despite the lack of quick twitch and explosiveness in his movements, he still understands how to attack the quarterback. Of course, it helps that he has a hot motor.

The real positives that Batty brings to the table are his focus on run defense. An 88.7th percentile bench press at 27 reps is on display every rep, as Batty is strong at the point of attack in one-on-one situations. He understands how to keep blockers at length with good hand placement and sheds them well to make the tackle. 

It’s the most consistent part of Batty’s game. Time and time again, he is right there to make a play against the run. Gets good leverage with a long arm, keeps his eyes up, and attacks the ball carrier at the exact right time.

The other major element with Batty’s run defense is the discipline which he plays with. You don’t see him getting out of position or overpursuing often. That’s a really important factor when it comes to projecting Batty to the next level, because when you have a motor that runs hot, it can easily get you in trouble. That doesn’t happen often with Batty, and you can see that in how he handles himself on the edge

You can see discipline that he plays with and it starts with his eyes. Keeping them up and not getting out of position are the key to his success.

The last major aspect of Batty is how he fits into what the Vikings do on defense. While Batty can play as a standup edge rusher, he is best as a 4-3 DE who puts his hand in the dirt. That doesn’t necessarily match with how defensive coordinator Brian Flores has utilized his defensive front over the course of the last couple of seasons.

What is interesting is the major investments in both Batty and Ingram-Dawkins. The common thread there is simple: two hybrid-type players who are strong enough at the point of attack to kick inside and can play out wide in base packages. Do the Vikings want to change what they do on base downs by having bigger edge rushers to set the edge? 

It would be an interesting shift in how the Vikings choose to play on defense, but it would likely give players like Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel a few extra plays off. 

His presence would also benefit the NASCAR package, as his strength profile can be a major benefit to the versatility that Flores likes to utilize. Batty has the ability to be a really good crasher in stunts to spring the Vikings’ speed rushers.

Overall, it’s somewhat of a surprise that Batty went undrafted. His run defense and ability to stand up at the point of attack are both really good, and likely should have been taken during day three, as high as the fourth round.

However, the lack of twitch and age were likely the reason why he went undrafted. It will also cap his ceiling to being a fringe starter at his highest point. There is something there with Batty in being a role player, and he can thrive in a specialized role, especially on rushing downs.

Don’t be surprised if Batty makes the team and is the fourth or fifth edge rusher on the depth chart.