Despite being an All-American in 2017 with Washington State, Hercules Mata’afa went undrafted in 2018.
He ended up signing with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent. There were plenty of questions about his position. While he played defensive line in college, if he wanted to do that in the NFL, he’d have to add weight after playing at about 250 pounds in college.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see him in 2018 after he tore his ACL in OTAs.
Now, though, Mata’afa is healthy, has put on weight, and is turning heads in OTAs.
“Players are talking about him. He’s up to 275 now,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said via Vikings.com. “He can get out of the chutes without raising up at all, has been difficult to block. He’s very active.”
The Vikings lost Sheldon Richardson in free agency, and while they signed Shamar Stephen to fill that spot, they could certainly use depth on the interior line. It’s early, and we mustn’t forget there is a reason why Mata’afa was initially undrafted, but he’s certainly a name to watch as we approach training camp.
“That’s where I played all college, and it’s where a lot of people told me I couldn’t play coming out of college [and in the NFL],” Mata’afa added. “It feels good to be able to make my mark. I am where I am and I’m happy to be here.”
