Friday, May 09, 2008 | Posted by Jonathan Mohr

John Randle was a seven-time All-Pro selection who played in seven Pro Bowls and finished his 14-year NFL career with 137.5 sacks, the most ever recorded by a defensive tackle and the fifth-highest total in league history.

He was also undrafted. His potential went unappreciated during the 1990 NFL Draft and Randle was forced to sign with the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie free agent that year.

The Vikings signed another crop of undrafted rookies in the hours after the 2008 draft, putting a premium on doing so after the Jared Allen trade and another draft-weekend deal left them with only five total picks.

Sixteen undrafted players were brought in during that initial signing period and, in the days since, the names of six of those players have emerged as athletes the Vikings liked and had on their draft board.

Chances are slim the Vikings will find another Randle in the bunch, but who are these players, why did they fall, and what do the Vikings see in them?

1. Erin Henderson, linebacker, Maryland: Six years younger than older brother E.J. -- Minnesota's starting middle linebacker -- Erin Henderson led the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles in 2007 and was named a third-team All-American. Thought by some to be a potential first-day pick, Henderson’s history of knee problems at Maryland caused teams to shy away. He missed the entire 2005 season with a torn ACL in his left knee and couldn’t practice for much of the 2007 campaign with a meniscus tear and ACL sprain in the same knee. The Vikings hope those problems are behind him and, although he may be a project, they believe Henderson is in the right situation to grow into a solid NFL player.

2. Drew Radovich, tackle, USC: The bottom line with Radovich is his hips. The scouts didn't like them. A right hip injury forced Radovich to miss the final 10 games of 2005 and surgery to address the problem robbed him of fluidity and range. That at least seems to be the conventional wisdom. But Radovich exhibited versatility and selflessness while in college, playing several positions along the line, including a switch to right tackle during his senior season to plug a hole made by a teammate’s injury; as a junior, he was excellent at left guard, delivering 70 knockdown blocks and eight touchdown-resulting blocks.

3. Darius Reynaud, wide receiver, West Virginia: A standout running back in high school, Reynaud was moved to receiver at West Virginia and put up impressive numbers while learning the position. In only three seasons with the team, Reynaud had 133 receptions (fifth in school history) and 19 touchdowns (third). Reynaud also averaged 26.81 yards per kickoff return, the second-highest average ever for West Virginia. His ability to return kicks, an area in which the Vikings have been weak in recent years, may earn Reynaud a spot on the team while he continues to grow as a receiver.

4. Marcus Griffin, safety, Texas: Unlike twin brother Michael, who now starts for the Tennessee Titans, Marcus Griffin wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school and was forced to walk on at Texas. He eventually worked his way into the starting lineup, playing extensively at strong safety as a junior before switching to free safety as a senior and leading the team in tackles with 99. Griffin also had five pass deflections and four interceptions during the 2007 season. Scouts say Michael Griffin is quicker than his brother, but Marcus is a better tackler.

5. Marcus Walker, cornerback, Oklahoma: Walker played as a freshman for Oklahoma, giving up his red shirt nine games into the 2004 season to start the final four. He turned heads with his play as a junior, showing good coverage skills with three interceptions and nine pass breakups, but his numbers fell off during his senior year. Like most of the others on this list, he has also had a history of injuries, with surgeries on both shoulders.

6. Martail Burnett, defensive end, Utah: Weighing in at 257 pounds, Burnett began his college career as a safety, then added 50 pounds and made the most of his new bulk, finishing his career with 17 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. Burnett, who has a 40-inch vertical jump, is too small to be an every-down player in the NFL at defensive end, but could make the squad as a pass-rushing specialist.

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