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‘‘It was disappointing not getting drafted,” Bolston said, ‘‘but it gave me the chance to choose the best situation for me. And by far, the Vikings’ offer was the best one and the situation there is very good for me. They have a great need for interior linemen and they have two All-Pros I can learn from.”

In fact, the Vikings, who play a 4-3 defensive scheme, have just three defensive tackles on their roster and did not select one during last weekend’s seven-round draft. They have 2006 pro-bowlers Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, but only one back-up (Ross Kolodziej). The Vikings made it clear to Bolston (6-foot-3, 303 pounds) and his agent Josh Wright of the Masterplan Group (Chicago) they were treating him as an extra draft pick, not as a free agent. According to Wright, who would not discuss contract specifics, the bonus money Bolston will receive is as good as some fifth-to-seventh-round picks.

‘‘It’s a great deal by free-agent standards,” Wright said. ‘‘And by seventh-round standards it’s very good. They made it very clear they wanted him and anticipate him being part of their plans.”

The Vikings had previously brought in Bolston for a private workout and had expressed their interest even before the draft. It just seemed like the right fit and the decision was an easy one, according to Bolston.

Bolston’s decision to attend Maryland may not have been as easy, but it paid off. Choosing the Terps over 14 other programs offering scholarships, including Florida, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee and Boston College, Bolston got a chance to play right away, seeing spot duty as a true freshman in 2003. He became a first-teamer as a sophomore and started 30 of the 44 games he played in at Maryland. He finished his career with 107 tackles, 17 for losses and 10 sacks.

‘‘It was a great experience [at Maryland],” Bolston said. ‘‘I had a lot of great teammates and met a lot of great people and learned a lot of life lessons I’m not sure I would have learned had I gone somewhere else. I think it definitely prepared me for this.”

Bolston, 22 years old, also had a choice of where to play in high school. Too big to play Pop Warner or in other youth football leagues, he didn’t begin playing competitively until he was a freshman in high school. He could have played for his hometown public school, Paint Branch, but he chose the private-school route and played four years at St. John’s (D.C.) in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference as a two-way lineman (offense and defense).

Sunday, with calls flooding his agent’s cell phone, Bolston made maybe the most important decision of his career. Thursday he’s off to Minnesota for a three-day mini-camp. Then, he returns to Minneapolis on May 15 to begin working out full-time with some of his new teammates and to look for living accommodations. Training camp begins in July. It’s a dream come true. But Bolston wants to make sure the dream lasts.

‘‘No. 1, I have to healthy, ‘‘he said. ‘‘I have to work hard and I have to emulate the players that are in front of me, learn the system and get better. That’s what I plan on doing.”

Notes: Maryland had two players drafted over the weekend — cornerback Josh Wilson (Upper Marlboro⁄DeMatha) in the second round by the Seattle Seahawks and punter Adam Podlesh (Pittsford, N.Y.) in the fourth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. As of Tuesday, three other Terps, in addition to Bolston, had signed free-agents deals — quarterback Sam Hollenbach (Sellersville, Pa.) and offensive lineman Stephon Hoyer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) with the Washington Redskins and linebacker David Holloway (Stephentown, N.Y.) with the Arizona Cardinals.