The Minnesota Vikings have sent another card to the podium in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with their final pick, they have addressed the tight end position.

With the 202nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have selected tight end Gavin Bartholomew from the University of Pittsburgh.

Bartholomew was viewed by many as a potential left tackle during his recruitment process, but he wound up sticking at the tight end position. He initially committed to Buffalo, but Pitt officially offered him a scholarship and he decided to head to the Panthers. In his career at Pitt, he caught 105 passes for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Bartholomew as the #16 tight end in this year’s draft class and had a sixth-round grade on him, so the Vikings got him in pretty much the right spot. Here’s what Brugler has to say about Bartholomew:

A four-year starter at Pittsburgh, Bartholomew was a wing/slot tight end in offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s scheme. With Kenny Pickett as his quarterback in 2021, he put himself on the NFL radar as a freshman, although he struggled to build on that early success over the past three years (never reached 350 receiving yards in a season).

Bartholomew plays with promising speed and toughness over the middle and can chew up yards versus zone, but he lacks the explosive traits to effortlessly separate from man coverage. His blocking improved incrementally each season, turning from a glaring weakness to a serviceable piece of his game — a reflection of his hard work and tenacious attitude. Overall, Bartholomew needs to continue getting stronger and sharpening his routes to find a permanent home in the NFL, but he has better pass-catching traits than his stat line would suggest. His intangibles will make it tough for a coaching staff to cut him.

Given that the Vikings only currently have two tight ends on the roster, Bartholomew is going to have an opportunity to make an impression pretty early on. He sounds like he has some potential and hopefully the Vikings’ coaching staff can get him pointed in the right direction.

Welcome to Minnesota, Gavin Bartholomew!