Max
Bredeson.
Max
Bredeson.
Michigan· 6'2"· 252 lb
R5 · #159 · Minnesota Vikings"Old-school lead-blocking fullback and two-time Michigan captain whose finishing pad level and I-formation IQ carry the projection; near-zero pass-game profile caps him to a Day 3 core-teamer."Pre-draft read
This I-back/offset-F fullback plays with good pad level, path discipline, and contact balance. He attacks the alley low with an ascending punch, securing shoulder plates and finishing with quick feet on chip-lift combos and iso kick-outs. He reads front-side linebacker leverage pre-snap, adjusting his angle against penetration to consistently wall off second-level defenders, allowing the back to bend the run.
In the pass game, he functions as a chip-and-release option, not a route runner. He demonstrates reliable hands on flats and stick concepts, focusing on blocking checkdowns rather than winning man coverage. On special teams, his value comes from his pursuit angles as a wing on punt coverage and his lane discipline as a pull-blocker on returns.
Gap/duo power run game, where backs press the line of scrimmage and downhill fullbacks clear alleys with ascending blocks.
Year 1 he is a depth fullback and special teams contributor, but his ceiling projects to a starting lead blocker in a power run scheme.
The value of his run-blocking prowess would be significantly diminished in a pass-heavy Air Raid or spread RPO offense that rarely utilizes a dedicated fullback.
An old-school downhill fullback whose exceptional blocking technique and physicality are scheme-dependent but offer significant value to power running offenses.
2026 NFL DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS: TE/FB Max Bredeson | Michigan Football
Max Bredeson Highlights - Michigan Football
Max Bredeson on Being Drafted by Vikings, His Versatility As A Fullback, College Career at Michigan
Max Bredeson projects as a specialist blocking fullback intended for core special teams work and run-game support in jumbo or 21-personnel packages. His evaluation is built entirely on his tape and defined role, as he did not participate in athletic testing at the combine. A team needing a physical, intelligent blocker with strong leadership traits can maximize his value in specific situations.
Bredeson arrived at Michigan as a walk-on tight end, ultimately developing into a 252-pound offset-F. He was a two-time captain and a key contributor as a specialist blocker on the 2023 national championship offense. Despite a career total of 12 receptions for 132 yards across 54 games, his coaches publicly lauded his blocking ability throughout his tenure.
Evaluators noted positional scarcity for fullbacks in the modern NFL and his lack of timed athletic performance as flags. However, his strong football character and effort were consistently praised. Consensus boards had him in the fifth-to-priority-undrafted free agent range, and he was ultimately selected in the fifth round as a clean fit for a team needing a lead blocker.
- 01
Elite Lead Blocking
Plays with natural knee-bend and low pad level on iso kick-outs, latching onto shoulder plates, and driving through contact consistently.
- 02
Exceptional Path Discipline
Reads front-side linebacker leverage pre-snap and adjusts angles against penetration to maintain clean blocking relationships.
- 03
Special Teams Versatility
Projects as a four-phase core teamer with experience as a punt wing and a disciplined lane blocker on returns.
- 04
Reliable Receiving Hands
No drops of note on chip-release flats and stick routes, with coaches trusting him as a checkdown option in the pass game.
- 05
Strong Football IQ
Exhibits strong communication and leadership, acting as an extra coach in run-game installs according to college coaching staff.
- 01
No Athletic Testing Profile
Did not run or test at the combine, making speed and burst projections reliant solely on evaluation of limited game tape.
- 02
Positional Scarcity Risk
Modern NFL offenses frequently roster one or no fullbacks, severely limiting available job opportunities for this specialist.
- 03
Limited Receiving Production
Near-zero receiving production across his college career, offering no NFL film library to evaluate him as a pass-game weapon.
- 04
Short Arm Length
30 1/8 inches arm length is below the position mean and can allow longer defenders to shed blocks easier on combos.
| Yr | Team | G | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | RecYds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Michigan | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 78 |
| 2023 | Michigan | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| 2024 | Michigan | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| 2025 | Michigan | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| Career | — | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 132 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Bryce UnderwoodQB23%
- Justice HaynesRB16%
- Andrew MarshWR11%
#16 of 18 tracked contributors · Produced in line with his snap share · Offense explosiveness 1.14 (p5) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Direct positional match and now-teammate: sub-package fullback and core teamer who survives on finish, prep and captaincy.
Ceiling if he grows into any semblance of a pass-game role; the run-blocking core is already Juszczyk-flavored on iso concepts.
Cut-and-signed journeyman path if the fullback spot gets zeroed out in Minnesota once Ham's deal expires.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context — Bredeson walked on at Michigan in 2021 as a lightly recruited Wisconsin tight end, redshirted the Orange Bowl team, and reinvented himself as an offset-F fullback in a system featuring inside-zone / duo. By 2023 he was the specialist blocker on a title-winning offense, and by 2024 he was a captain — Grant Newsome's "best fullback in college football" quote circulated all the way to the pre-draft board. Testing capped the range: 6-2, 252 with 30 1/8" arms and 10" hands, but no 40, no jumps, no shuttle at either Indy or the Michigan pro day. Boards consolidated him in the 5th-to-priority-UDFA band, and Minnesota — with fullback tradition and an aging C.J. Ham — was the industry-favorite landing spot.
NFL fit — Vikings. An offensive system that keeps 21-personnel and jumbo packages live enough for a lead blocker to matter, and Bredeson slides in behind Ham as the developmental heir and core-teams contributor. Year 1 expectation is 250–300 special-teams snaps, a handful of goal-line and short-yardage packages, and jumbo protection reps on gadget looks. The path to a real offensive role runs through Ham's contract situation (2027) and through Bredeson proving he can add even 5–10 designed touches without leaking on chip routes. If he can, the Juszczyk-lite ceiling opens up in a layered run scheme.
Retrospective — evaluation call was accurate to type: this is a role player whose value is captured almost entirely on teams and in 15–20 offensive snaps a week. The bust risk is external (position gets zeroed out) far more than internal. Grade him honestly: a hit if he sticks four years as a Ham replacement, a mixed outcome if he bounces around teams' bottom-of-roster fullback churn, a miss only if an organizational shift kills the fullback spot in his first camp.