Often, fullbacks can be found in undrafted free agency, but the Minnesota Vikings brushed that philosophy to the side on Saturday, drafting Michigan’s Max Bredeson, a tight end-fullback hybrid.
Minnesota chose the Round 5 route for a gritty offensive chess piece.
Many expected Minnesota to pick a halfback like Emmett Johnson of Nebraska, but it’s a C.J. Ham replacement instead.
Bredeson Brings Michigan Toughness to Minnesota’s Summer Roster
J.J. McCarthy calls Bredeson a “fox hole guy.”
Bredeson to MIN
The sixth pick of the Vikings’ draft is in the books. Vikings.com’s Rob Kleifield announced Saturday, “A Michigan Man is headed to Minnesota. The Vikings selected former Wolverines fullback Max Bredeson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, providing the team a replacement for two-time Pro Bowl FB C.J. Ham, who retired in March.”
“Bredeson began his college career in 2021 as a walk-on tight end. He appeared in 14 games with one start in 2022, catching five passes for 78 yards, before taking on an expanded role for the Michigan squad that won the 2023 National Championship and was led by Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Bredeson was named the Team’s Most Improved Player on Offense for that season and split duties as a TE/H-back.”
Bredeson will turn 24 in October, so Minnesota picked a game-ready commodity.
The Scouting Report
At 6’2″ and 250 pounds, the easiest way to think of Bredeson is a “dirty work” guy. He’s not much of a receiver but was a two-time captain at Michigan.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein on his scouting report: “Like his brother Ben before him, Max is a two-time team captain at Michigan. While Max is smaller than Ben — an offensive lineman for the Buccaneers — Max is equally committed as a run blocker. He fits blocks with good centering and strikes with initial pop.”
“He has a hard time sustaining and clearing lanes on a consistent basis, though. He can handle basic zone-beater and play-action catches. He’s also above average in pass protection from the backfield. In a league with limited fullback opportunities, Bredeson will have his work cut out for him as he pursues a roster spot.”
FootballGuys.com‘s Dave Kluge added, “Bredeson doesn’t care about stats or flashy plays. He’s a foundational contributor, doing the dirty work in a ground-and-pound offense. He lines up as a split back, fullback, and tight end, and is frequently used in presnap motion to create angles and leverage.”
“He has a strong base, good pad level, and reliable hand placement to seal the edge, and he plays with enough grit to crack linebackers on inside runs. There’s not much polish in Bredeson’s receiving game. He lacks the length and mismatch ability to be a factor in the passing game. Still, he’s a tough, assignment-sound blocker who profiles as a late-round or priority free agent fullback/H-back.”
His pro comp is James Develin from the New England Patriots days of the 2010s.
McCarthy Pumped
Of course, Bredeson played alongside Vikings QB2 J.J. McCarthy at Michigan; the two won a National Championship together, the springboard event that propelled McCarthy to Minnesota in 2024.
In true McCarthy form, he tweeted this immediately after the Bredeson selection in all caps:
Minnesota basically drafted Bredeson for his pass protection, hoping to fill the void for Ham, Minnesota’s longtime fullback, who called it quits after the 2025 regular season.
If you wanted Minnesota to replace Ham with another fullback, your dream came true and then some on Saturday. The Bredeson pick is an emphatic tip of the cap to the Vikings’ refusal to stop using fullbacks in their offense. Many teams have inxayed FBs altogether. Not the Vikings.
Still No Young RB
Minnesota did extensive homework on tailbacks — not fullbacks — leading up to the draft, and through the end of Round 5, they drafted none.
Instead of picking a possible young halfback of the future, the Vikings swerved with Bredeson, leaving these men on the draftboard:
- Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)
- Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest)
- Nicholas Singleton (Penn State)
- Kaytron Allen (Penn State)
- Seth McGowan (Kentucky)
- Le’Veon Moss (Texas A&M)
Johnson, who is from the Twin Cities, was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs right after the pick. Singleton went to the Tennessee Titans.
All things considered, you can write Bredeson’s name in ink for a 53-man roster spot in September.
Before the Round 5 pick, Minnesota onboarded these players:
- R1: Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
- R2: Jake Golday (ILB, Cincinnati)
- R3: Domonique Orange (DT, Iowa State)
- R3: Caleb Tiernan (OT, Northwestern)
- R3: Jakobe Thomas (S, Miami)
The Vikings will add about 20 undrafted free agents on Saturday night and into Sunday.
