Minnesota Vikings 90-man roster: Will Bo Richter's athleticism catapult him to a roster spot?

The Minnesota Vikings are firmly entrenched in OTAs and are progressing toward training camp at TCO Performance Center. This will be the third season under head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and it’s also a turning point in the future of the organization.

To prepare for the pivotal 2024 season, we will break down each player on the 90-man roster leading up to training camp. In this series, we will look into their background, scheme fit, best and worst case scenario along with what to expect from each player. It will also help gain more insight on each player going into the year, especially with players who haven’t gotten much fanfare.

Will athleticism and versatility propel Bo Richter to a Vikings roster spot?

Background

Richter was an unranked recruit according to 247 Sports and went to Air Force. He didn’t see any action in his first two seasons on campus but got his first action in 2021 as an off-ball linebacker. He played in 11 games with two starts at off-ball linebacker before being moved back to his more natural position of edge rusher. He doubled his snap total in 2022 and did the same in 2023 when he broke out. Richter had 55 pressures in 327 pass rush snaps and had 9.0 sacks. He went undrafted and was signed by the Vikings with a $ 5k signing bonus and $ 10k guaranteed.

Scheme fit

Richter can do a little bit of everything for the Vikings. Having played off ball linebacker in 2021 and as an edge rusher in 2022 and 2023, Richter can be a flex player for Brian Flores, who loves to put players in positions to be successful in different personnel packages. Think of how Flores maximized Ivan Pace Jr. last year.

Best case scenario

Richter’s exceptional athleticism help him standout in a relatively weak linebacker room. Richter tested as a 99th percentile athlete per Relative Athletic Score and Pro Football Focus’ Game Athletic Score (GAS) and his explosiveness matches on the field. Even though he hasn’t played much off-ball linebacker the last two seasons, Richter thrives early and often, especially on special teams garnering him a roster spot.

Bo Richter is a LB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.91 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 24 out of 2686 LB from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/37sq7zQeA5 pic.twitter.com/QoRmUnthki

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 17, 2024

Worst case scenario

Richter’s poor length doesn’t allow him to stack and shed as a linebacker and that severely limits his effectiveness. Having 30 5/8″ arms could be a real detriment to his success, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. He can’t use his athleticism enough to make plays and it costs him a spot on the practice squad.

What to expect in 2024

Richter’s profile is a fascinating one. He has a very muscular build, which isn’t the norm for someone who attends a military academy. Richter pairs that build with elite athletic traits that allow him to be explosive in all aspects of the game.

Now, he doesn’t have great arm length under 31″ which can be a huge deterrent when you have to stack and shed blockers in the run game. The way Richter can potentially make the team is by thriving on special teams and being an explosive disruptor in the running game on defense. That type of athletic profile makes a practice squad spot feel likely, but he will have to show something a little more.