The Minnesota Vikings didn’t have tons of draft capital in the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving with only five selections. One of those picks was used on Gavin Bartholomew, a tight end out of Pittsburgh who was selected 202nd overall.

But Bartholomew, placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list when camp began, has missed practice with a back injury, meaning he could be passed by other promising young players for the TE3 position. Alec Lewis of The Athletic did a 53-man roster projection on Wednesday, and Bartholomew didn’t make the cut.

In: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek

Out: Gavin Bartholomew, Bryson Nesbit, Giovanni Ricci

Yurosek went undrafted, but plenty of teams sought his services. Minnesota offered the best opportunity. His signing now seems essential with the news that Bartholomew could be out long enough to halt any momentum he had from camp. Yurosek snatched a pass in traffic during Saturday’s red zone period. He blocked admirably in one-on-one drills Monday.

The No. 3 tight end conversation might feel insignificant, but this is a team that will likely deploy lots of two-tight end sets to ignite the run game. Any injury to Hockenson or Oliver would place a hefty burden on Yurosek.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Bartholomew would be cut. Players on the PUP list don’t count against the active roster once the season begins. However, it doesn’t exactly help his potential ascension up the depth chart, especially with the TE3 spot open for the taking.