Re-grading the Minnesota Vikings 2018 draft class

Undrafted Free-Agent Rookies

Mike Boone – RB

Stats:

• 40 games (2 starts)
• 379 rushing yards
• 4 touchdowns
• 7 catches
• 28 yards

Grade:

• 1/0

Boone has been quite the find for the Vikings. He has proven to be a valuable bench player, coming in when Cook and Mattison get dinged up, and having the offense not skip a beat. Boone is a violent runner, who doesn’t go down on first contact. He gives the Vikings one of the best running back trifectas in the league, and could probably start for a handful of clubs.

Holton Hill – CB

Stats:

• 28 games (6 started)
• 73 tackles
• 1 interception
• 11 pass breakups

Grade:

• 1/0

Hill is no longer with the club, but the team got plenty of return from this undrafted investment. Hill played very well as a rookie and actually peaked that year. He was forced into action due to injuries and held his own against some very good NFL receivers. He was suspended half of the following season for some shady offseason dealings and then landed in Zimmer’s doghouse. He never regained his rookie form and struggled mightily before getting cut this past season. While he finished his Viking career in dismal fashion, the fact he was able to contribute as much as he did made him worth the risk.

Hercules Mata’afa – DL

Stats:

• 19 games (1 start)
• 24 tackles (4 for a loss)
• 2.5 sacks

Grade:

• 0.5/0

Mata’afa has been a player who has just kind of stuck around. He missed his rookie season due to an ACL tear, but came back and earned a spot on the team as a situational interior pass rusher. While he hasn’t been consistent and has even been released once or twice, Mata’afa does have 2.5 sacks in his Vikings’ career. He flashes some great potential as a disruptor and will again be competing for a spot on the depth chart in 2021.

FINAL GRADE:

C+ (78.8)

Rick Spielman got lucky as his undrafted players saved his 2018 class from getting a failing grade. It really wasn’t his best effort. His first-round pick turned out to be injury-prone, and he also missed on his fourth-rounder. The coaching staff wasn’t patient enough with kicker Daniel Carlson and they probably should’ve hung on to Devante Downs as well.

There is some room for this grade to go up. There’s a slim chance that Mike Hughes comes back and actually puts together a full 16 game season, and Tyler Conklin appears to just be getting the hang of things and could build off his solid 2020 season.

5 most disappointing Vikings players of the 2020 season

Now that the 2020 season has concluded for the Minnesota Vikings, which members of their roster were the most disappointing during the campaign?

That being said, this class only netted one starter and after three seasons, one would have expected a few more.