Vikings Select Penn State LB Kobe King with 201st Pick of 2025

By: Craig Peters

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings added to their linebackers group Saturday by selecting Kobe King out of Penn State with the 201^st overall pick.

King joins the Vikings after playing 46 games (27 starts) for the Nittany Lions, including all 16 of the 2024 season. He finished his college career with 200 tackles (113 solo), 18.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and four pass breakups.

"Really excited to add him," Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. "A lot of times in football we make it harder than it is, but it's a meat-and-potatoes game in some positions, and linebacker is one of them. You need somebody to tackle the person trying to advance the ball up the field against your team, whether that be special teams with the ball in his hands or, you know, defending the pass. And he's somebody that plays with range.

"He's a really physical, knock back, impact tackler, and we're excited to add him — not just to our fourth down units, but also potentially to be a starter one day in this league," Adofo-Mensah continued. "Great communicator — was able to move people around in the Penn State defense, a great defense in its own right. And then you talk about a great culture and a group there that's been able to win and build something special there, up in State College."

In 2024, King recorded career bests of 97 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, garnering Second-Team All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches and media members. Additionally, Penn State's coaches named him the Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Minnesota Gophers.

King's college coach James Franklin posted the following about King on X:

Interestingly, King's twin brother Kalen was drafted by Green Bay with the 255^th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Kalen spent most of last season on the Packers practice squad.

"I think we've been rivals or whole — well, we compete, but when I got the call, he was like we're going to see each other twice a year," Kobe said. "It just feels good. We've been competing our whole life and we're still going to compete until we're done.

We push each other on the field, off the field, with football, with character, pushing each other to be better people and better players," he added. "That was my first competitor, best and worst critic. He definitely was a big part in why I'm where I am today."

Vikings Select Pittsburgh TE Gavin Bartholomew with 202nd Overall Pick of 2025 NFL Draft

By: Lindsey Young

The Vikings have made their final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Minnesota selected Pittsburgh TE Gavin Bartholomew 202^nd overall, rounding out this year's five-player draft class: OL Donovan Jackson (No. 24), WR Tai Felton (102), DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (139), LB Kobe King (201) and Bartholomew.

"I've dreamed of this since I was a little kid," Bartholomew told Twin Cities media members via videoconference. "I'm kind of at a loss for words right now, really. All my hard work finally paid off, and I couldn't be happier to be with the Vikings. I can't wait to get to work."

In 2024, he started all 13 games he played for the Panthers en route to Honorable Mention All-ACC honors. Bartholomew totaled 38 catches for 322 yards (8.5 average) and four touchdowns, two of which were scored at Boston College.

Selected as a team captain, Bartholomew was selected to play in the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl and was named to the All-ACC Academic Football Team for the second time in his collegiate career.

Over four seasons with the Panthers, Bartholomew played 50 games and totaled 105 catches for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Bartholomew joins fellow Pitt alum Brian O'Neill in the Minnesota locker room, as well as Jordan Addison, who played for the Panthers in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to USC. Addison and Bartholomew overlapped during the 2021 season.

"I was super fortunate to be able to play with him," said Bartholomew. "I can't wait to get back with him and just build that relationship again.

"[Brian O'Neill] has come back to the team and talked to us, and I've had some side conversations," Bartholomew said. "You know, he actually texted me just a little bit ago. I'm looking forward to talking to him and building that relationship, as well."

Adofo-Mensah told media members following Minnesota's final selection that he and some of the coaches had asked Addison about Bartholomew prior to the draft.

"[Addison's] not the loudest guy in the room, I would say, but he's an incredible personality and funny, once you get to know him. But we asked him about Gavin, and he lit up," Adofo-Mensah said. "Before he even said words, you could see in his demeanor and the smile on his face.

"[Gavin] came in as a freshman there and on a really good team and played good football for them. That means a lot," he continued. "The ability to come in at that age, the pressure of that environment, coming from high school, just a lot of stuff he can do.

"He's got some route-running ability. We think he's got a lot of ability in his body," Adofo-Mensah added. "His pro day showed a lot of that. We think our coaches are some of the best in the league to get that out of him. And we think he's got a lot of lower-body strength to … be somebody to help us in the run game and special teams."

Pitt Head Coach Pat Narduzzi posted the following about Bartholomew on X:

Bartholomew grew up in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, where he attended Blue Mountain High School and played tight end, defensive end, punter and even stepped in at quarterback as a senior.

Bartholomew brings some additional size to the Vikings offense, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 246 pounds, and joins T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver in the Vikings tight ends room.

"He's a [heck] of a player," he said when asked about Hockenson. "I can't wait to get there and learn with him, you know, work with him. So you know, just really excited about this opportunity and can't wait to win some football games."