The Minnesota Vikings failed to address wide receiver during the 2026 NFL Draft. But the Vikings are doing their best to add receiver depth through undrafted free agency.
According to the USA Today undrafted free agency tracker, the Vikings signed four receivers in the first 18 hours after the 2026 NFL Draft. One of those included Maryland wideout Shaleak Knotts.
Maryland football insider Ahmed Ghafir reported Minnesota signed Knotts on Saturday night.
“Former four-star out of North Carolina who posted 717 receiving yards and six TDs in 2025,” wrote Ghafir on X.
Former four-star out of North Carolina who posted 717 receiving yards and six TDs in 2025 @agent_Leeyard
SB Nation’s Testudo Times’ Dylan Schmidt called Knotts the “favorite deep threat” for Maryland quarterback Malik Washington last season.
During 2025, Knotts averaged 16.3 yards per catch. Over four seasons at Maryland, he registered 67 catches, 963 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Most of his production came during the 2025 campaign.
What Maryland’s Shaleak Knotts Could Bring to Vikings
After focusing primarily on defense on the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings finally added some modest playmakers on Day 3. But they were running backs, one of which played fullback at Michigan.
As a result, Minnesota still had a hole at receiver after the draft concluded Saturday.
Knotts was one of the first wideouts the Vikings added following the draft. He could be a candidate to give the team another outside deep-threat on offense.
Knotts didn’t have a lot of college production before 2025. But as a late bloomer, perhaps he could continue to develop with the Vikings.
In 2024, Knotts had 11 catches for 161 yards with one touchdown. He had just 12 catches in his first two college campaigns.
Vikings Sign Four Undrafted Wide Receivers
With no receivers selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings signed four wideouts in undrafted free agency.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the team signed Georgia wide receiver Dillon Bell first.
Additionally, the Vikings added Arizona’s Luke Wysong and Georgia Southern’s Marcus Sanders at wideout in undrafted free agency.
As a 1,200-yard receiver in the SEC, Bell is probably the most-likely of the four to carve out a role in 2026. Bell also had 373 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground for Georgia last year.
“[Bell is a] big, strong, explosive receiver requiring specific usage on the next level,” Zierlein wrote. “He is top-notch with the ball in his hands on reverses, jet-sweeps and quick hitches. He has the ability to create chunk runs after breaking tackles.”
It’s possible, though, the Vikings could be searching for multiple contributors in their undrafted free agency receiver class.
Behind starters Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the Vikings don’t have much receiver depth. The team lost WR3 Jalen Nailor in NFL free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings had Tai Felton as the favorite to be the offense’s new WR3. Ironically, Felton was teammates with Knotts for three years at Maryland from 2022-24.
But Felton had little impact during his rookie campaign last year. He caught just three passes for 25 yards.
With that in mind, it was surprising the Vikings didn’t add a receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In addition to Felton, the team has Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, Myles Price and Joaquin Davis on their offseason receiver depth chart.
Vikings Sign Deep Threat WR in Undrafted Free Agency: Report