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Report: Minnesota Vikings to sign Wisconsin OLB Garret Dooley

Dooley goes undrafted, but finds a home quickly as a free agent.

NCAA Football: Michigan at Wisconsin Rick Wood-USA TODAY Sports

Another Wisconsin outside linebacker will receive a shot in the NFL, as the Minnesota Vikings will sign Garret Dooley, the Wisconsin State Journal’s Jason Galloway reports.

Dooley transitioned to outside linebacker for the 2015 season after initially moving around from inside linebacker to defensive line. In 2016, he contributed as part of the rotation with T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel, even starting a couple of games due to Biegel’s foot injury.

Last season, Dooley and Leon Jacobs assured continued production from the outside linebacker position after Watt and Biegel’s departures. Dooley led the team in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (12), helping Wisconsin’s defense be among the best in the country in multiple categories.

Dooley trained at the Michael Johnson Performance center in McKinney, Texas, then participated in the Senior Bowl in January. He performed at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and at Wisconsin’s Pro Day on March 14.

Garret Dooley Measurables

Height Weight Arm Length Hand Size 40-Yard Dash Bench Press Vertical Jump Broad Jump 20-Yard Shuttle 3-Cone Drill 60-Yard Shuttle
Height Weight Arm Length Hand Size 40-Yard Dash Bench Press Vertical Jump Broad Jump 20-Yard Shuttle 3-Cone Drill 60-Yard Shuttle
6'2 248 pounds 32 1/2" 10 1/4" 4.62 seconds (4.80 at Combine) 21 reps 33" 121" 4.28 seconds (4.31 at Pro Day) 7.00 seconds N/A

Height, weight, arm length, hand size, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle statistics from NFL Combine; 40-yard dash and 3-cone drill from Wisconsin Pro Day.

Dooley will look to continue the legacy of recent Wisconsin outside linebackers making an impact at the next level. Joe Schobert (2016), Watt and Biegel (2017), and Jacobs all were drafted in recent years and were tutored under the guidance of former position coach Tim Tibesar.

2018 NFL Draft Badgers tracker

Player Position Team Draft Selection/UDFA Draft Pick/Signing Story Scouting Report Interview
Player Position Team Draft Selection/UDFA Draft Pick/Signing Story Scouting Report Interview
Nick Nelson CB Oakland Raiders Round 4, Pick 10 (No. 110 overall) Read Here Read Here
Troy Fumagalli TE Denver Broncos Round 5, Pick 19 (No. 156 overall) Read Here Read Here
Natrell Jamerson S New Orleans Saints Round 5, Pick 27 (No. 164 overall) Read Here Read Here Read Here
Jack Cichy LB Tampa Bay Buccaneers Round 6, Pick 28 (No. 202 overall) Read Here Read Here Read Here
Leon Jacobs LB Jacksonville Jaguars Round 7, Pick 12 (No. 230 overall) Read Here Read Here
Garret Dooley LB Minnesota Vikings UDFA Read Here Read Here
Alec James DL Arizona Cardinals UDFA Read Here Read Here
Austin Ramesh FB Arizona Cardinals UDFA Read Here Read Here Read Here
Conor Sheehy DL Green Bay Packers UDFA Read Here Read Here
Derrick Tindal CB Read Here
Joe Ferguson S Green Bay Packers Tryout Read Here
Lubern Figaro CB Cleveland Browns Tryout Read Here Read Here