EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -The Minnesota Vikings have signed seventh-round draft pick Jamarca Sanford.

Sanford is a safety who started all 44 games he played at Mississippi and was a team captain during his senior year. Sanford earned SEC defensive player of the week honors after he had 11 tackles in the Rebels' upset of eventual national champion Florida.

Sanford is the first of five Viking draft picks from 2009 to sign. Terms of the deal announced Monday were not disclosed.

Sanford will compete for a role on special teams and as a backup to starting safeties Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams.