A clique has formed in one corner of the Vikings locker room. Not a bad kind, though.

Five lockers in a row belong to players undrafted out of college.

"This is the corner that wasn't supposed to make it," linebacker Kenny Onatolu said.

The group consists of Onatolu, safety Husain Abdullah, right guard Anthony Herrera, long snapper Cullen Loeffler and linebacker Erin Henderson. They have plenty of company.

Of the team's 53-man roster, 14 players were not drafted, a list that ranges from rookie linebacker Larry Dean to 15-year veteran kicker Ryan Longwell.

The Vikings devote a ridiculous amount of time, money and resources on the draft every year and yet 26 percent of their roster is made up of guys who didn't get that phone call during the draft.

"It says we have a lot of guys who will fight," Abdullah said.

It also is another reminder that no matter how much energy is spent trying to make the right decision, the NFL draft always will be an inexact science. There are costly mistakes and unexpected surprises. The drafted players who turn out to be busts attract a brighter spotlight than the long shots because of the investment teams make in them.

Most NFL rosters include undrafted players who took full advantage of their opportunity in a tryout or training camp. Former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle is the ultimate example of a guy who made something -- in his case a Hall of Fame career -- from nothing more than a chance.

Undrafted players carry an extra chip on their shoulders.

"I always feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle," Abdullah said.

A starter at safety, Abdullah admits he had serious doubts when he signed in 2008. The Vikings had veteran Darren Sharper, signed free agent Madieu Williams to a large contract and drafted Tyrell Johnson in the second round. Eric Frampton and Michael Boulware also were competing for jobs.

"I was like, 'Man, where do I fit in?'" Abdullah said.

Abdullah told himself not to count numbers or worry about his status, but it's human nature. Teams need their draft picks to succeed. They've invested in them, financially and in their evaluations. Finding an undrafted player is gravy.

"It's still always a long shot because you've got to beat out draft picks," Onatolu said. "But if you have coaches that believe in you and actually give you an opportunity, it means everything."

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier probably has a soft spot in his heart for those players because he also went undrafted but developed into a starting cornerback for the Bears. Frazier said roster decisions should be made with a "blind eye" in regard to a player's draft status.

"If you do that, you give yourself a chance to win as opposed to getting caught up with where you took a guy [in the draft], and I have to justify that I took him there by keeping him on our roster even though this player is a little bit better," Frazier said. "That's where you get into trouble."

It's amazing so many players slip through the cracks, considering the level of pre-draft scouting and evaluation. Players get overlooked for various reasons. Some don't possess ideal measurables. Some have injury issues. Some get hurt by a big-school bias.

"In each of [our] cases, I bet you can go through and there's a different reason why they weren't drafted," said Rick Spielman, Vikings vice president of player personnel. Spielman isn't concerned so much about how many undrafted players make the roster as he is the places the team found them. The current roster consists of players acquired from six different sources: draft, undrafted free agents, unrestricted free agents, street free agents, trade and other leagues (CFL, UFL).

"Our point of emphasis is to cast a wide net," he said.

Teams always will look to build through the draft. But one trip around the Vikings locker room shows there's also room for those forced to take a harder path.

"A little bit of luck, getting your foot in the door," Onatolu said. "After that, it's all on you."

Chip Scoggins ascoggins@startribune.com