Vikings UDFA profile: BYU OLB Tyler Batty is an old rookie with a chance

With Vikings training camp coming up, we're going to help you prepare by introducing you to some of the unheralded names on the roster: the undrafted rookies. Over the next few weeks, we'll be taking a look at all 21 of Minnesota's UDFA additions this year.

Vikings UDFA profile: BYU OLB Tyler Batty

Age: 26
Size: 6'5", 271
RAS: 8.76
2024 stats: 59 tackles, 7 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 2 INT
Guaranteed money: $259,000

It typically isn't too hard to figure out why a player went undrafted — whether it's size, athleticism, college production, or another factor. With Tyler Batty, what jumps out is his age. Batty, who served a three-year LDS mission before spending five years at BYU, is already 26 years old. He's been married for over four years. By NFL rookie standards, he's borderline ancient.

But even if Batty's ceiling may be capped by his age and lack of quick-twitch athleticism, he has the size, strength, and motor to put himself in the mix for a spot on the Vikings' 53-man roster. Having played in 53 games at BYU, Batty has substantial experience and a path to contributing as a depth and special teams player during his rookie contract. After all, there's a reason why he received more guaranteed money than any other undrafted free agent the Vikings signed this spring.

Batty, who grew up on a farm in Utah, stuck with football despite a scary head injury from an ATV accident just before high school. Over his five seasons at BYU, he recorded 16.5 sacks, 34 total tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions. Not unlike 2024 UDFA Bo Richter, Batty is a big, strong defensive end who wins with physicality and a relentless motor. He isn't dripping with burst or agility, but he's a violent, powerful player who can rush the passer in a variety of ways.

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With the Vikings, there's at least one roster spot, if not two, up for grabs in a competition between four former undrafted players at outside linebacker. Batty's college production and the amount of guaranteed money he got from Minnesota suggest he has a real chance to emerge from that competition with a spot on the team.