5 best Vikings seventh-round picks of the last decade

3. Shamar Stephen – DT

The Minnesota Vikings took this big old boy in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Vikings, at the time, just got a new head coach in Mike Zimmer and Shamar Stephen was seen as a run-stuffer for his 4-3 front. He did just that.

Stephen had a decent rookie season for the Vikings as far as seventh rounders go. He had 23 tackles in his first year. He was injured in his second season but came back in a big way in 2016.

In 2016, Stephen started all 16 games for the Vikings. He had 39 tackles and the Vikings became very tough to run the ball against. The following season he played more of a rotational role, but still produced with 28 tackles and a sack. The Seattle Seahawks liked him enough to sign him to a contract that offseason.

The Vikings brought Stephen back in 2019. They plugged him in next to Linval Joseph and they formed a stout front line that proved to be difficult to run against. Stephen did miss a game due to injury, but still had 21 tackles and a sack last season.

While his career numbers aren’t jaw-dropping he’s been a very solid player who has vastly outplayed his seventh-round pick status.