Minnesota Vikings: Hercules Mata’afa poised for breakout season in 2019
By Joe Kipp
Second-year defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa has been a surprising standout for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2019 offseason.
The Minnesota Vikings may have struck gold without even trying. Seemingly out of nowhere, former undrafted free agent defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa has been a notable standout this offseason.
Though technically not a rookie, Mata’afa is essentially entering his first year in the NFL. Before his rookie campaign could even start last season, Mata’afa tore his ACL in rookie minicamp, shortly after the NFL Draft. Now with a full year of training and rehab under his belt, he looks poised to make a name for himself.
It hasn’t taken long for Mata’afa to be noticed, either. In fact, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer went out of his way to shower Mata’afa with praise this offseason after an impressive performance in OTAs.
"“He’s been the surprise of camp, to be honest with you. Players are talking about him. He’s up to 275 (pounds) now,” Zimmer told Paul Allen of KFAN 100.3. “He can get out of the chutes without raising up at all, has been difficult to block. He’s very active. … Now, the question is: ‘Can he continue to do it when we get the pads on?'”"
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Zimmer even went as far to compare Mata’afa to a seven-time Pro Bowler. “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.”
During his three seasons as a starter at Washington State, Mata’afa recorded 83 solo tackles, 45.5 tackles for losses and 21 sacks while playing at 251 pounds. He was the Pac-12’s 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. The Vikings experimented with playing him at linebacker before his ACL tear but moved him to defensive end shortly after.
Now apparently at 275 pounds, Mata’afa has seen the majority of his snaps at the 3-technique defensive tackle position. He’ll look to make the final 53-man roster in a deep position group, but based on what we’ve seen and heard so far this offseason, he should have no trouble impressing at training camp.
Don’t try to ask Mata’afa about all the hype surrounding him, though. “Making the team – that’s my first goal,” Mata’afa told Vikings.com. “From there, it’s winning games. That’s all I’m here for, to help the team.”
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Mata’afa decided to forgo his senior season at Washington State in 2018 and entered the NFL Draft. Luckily for the Vikings, he went undrafted, allowing for a potential bargain signing. So far this offseason, he looks to be a key contributor in 2019.