Last preseason, fans were curious what undrafted rookie Hercules Mata’afa offered the Minnesota Vikings. After returning from injury, he is impressive.
Any time an NFL team can take a gamble on a highly athletic player as an undrafted free agent, that is a gamble that is usually worth taking. For the Minnesota Vikings, one example of this was the signing of Hercules Mata’afa.
The Washington State defensive lineman didn’t really fit what NFL teams look for at the position. Despite 83 tackles, 21 sacks, and 45.5 tackles for a loss in his 34 games played, he slid right out of the draft and landed in Minnesota.
While many teams saw him as an undersized linebacker, the Vikings wanted him to bulk up and be a defensive tackle. They stated that they liked what they saw from him but wanted to give him time to get where he needed to be. Sadly, he suffered an ACL injury during OTAs in 2018 and was put on the shelf for the year.
Now, he has returned to the team and he has caught the eye of head coach Mike Zimmer, who had some pretty mighty praise and a lofty comparison for the 23-year old.
"“We had a kid when I was in Cincinnati named Geno Atkins. We were in OTAs and one of the quarterbacks came up to me and said, ‘Do you think he can do this when pads go on?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. We’ll see,’ and he did,” Zimmer said according to the official Vikings website. “That’s kind of, you know, I’m not saying he’s Geno, but he’s so active in these OTAs,” Zimmer added. “Now, the question is, ‘Can he continue to do it when we get the pads on?’”"
Keep in mind that Zimmer is in no way saying that Mata’afa will be the next Geno Atkins. Atkins has been named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was All-Pro first or second team three times. However, talking about his motor and activities during OTAs gives hope that the team could see a great return on their investment from signing the project defensive lineman.
One of the most notable things is how Hercules has done what the team had asked him to do and put on weight. The Vikings say he is up to 275 pounds from the 250 he clocked in at around this time last year…and hasn’t lost his explosiveness.
Plus, Mata’afa himself is very comfortable playing at defensive tackle and embraces the opportunity to show Minnesota what he can do.
"“I feel like I’m at home. I’m playing where I feel comfortable at,” Mata’afa said. “I’m glad I came here because I knew the Vikings would give me a shot if linebacker didn’t work out for me. That’s what they did, and I’m just coming here, showing what I can give the team.”"
At this time, it’s hard to tell if Mata’afa will be able to make the practice squad or 53-man roster of the Minnesota Vikings, but it appears as though he is really catching the eye of the coaches and doing the right things to put himself in a position to succeed in the NFL. Plus, fans who were excited to see what Hercules brings to the table should be even more encouraged after seeing these words from Mike Zimmer.