5 Vikings who have been M.I.A in training camp so far
By Nik Edlund
Luiji Vilian – OLB
Undrafted rookies don’t normally generate a lot of buzz in camp unless they are far exceeding expectations. Every season there is usually one who comes out of nowhere to have an excellent camp and ultimately makes the team. One guy who was pegged to be that player prior to the start of Vikings camp was outside linebacker Luiji Vilian.
Vilain was coming off an eight-sack season as a senior at Wake Forest and got a raving endorsement from current Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Kwity Paye, creating post-draft talk that the Vikings may have found themselves a steal. So it’s been a little disheartening that there has been little buzz or news about Vilain in camp so far.
When it comes to the edge rushers, Danielle Hunter and Zadarius Smith have gotten all the attention and that’s for good reason. They are both poised for huge seasons. We also have gotten the impression from the nuggets that have come out that D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II are the next men up. But after that is where the mystery remains.
Vilian did get a mention the other day about getting some pressure against the second or third team offense. That’s a good start, but at this point, many would’ve thought we’d be hearing a lot more from this electric edge rusher.