The Minnesota Vikings invited 20 players to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. That list of invitees included Nebraska cornerback Tommi Hill, who drew high praise from the No. 2-overall pick Travis Hunter, who referred to Hill as the toughest cornerback he faced in college.
Tommi Hill Pick 6 as Memorial Stadium ERUPTS vs. Colorado #Huskers #GBR pic.twitter.com/RgXQiOKUnN
— Huskers Top Plays (@HuskersTopPlays) April 23, 2025
Despite the buzz surrounding Hill, he was not among the few who received a contract offer from the Vikings following rookie minicamp tryouts. So, who were the two players the Vikings prioritized over a highly regarded prospect in Hill?
On Monday, the team announced that Minnesota signed Morgan State defensive lineman Elijah Williams and Kent State outside linebacker Matt Harmon. According to Vikings.com senior editor Craig Peters, Harmon played 49 games at Kent State from 2018 to 2024, recording 105 tackles, 13 for loss, and four sacks. He also had seven passes defensed, an interception, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
I view Matt Harmon as a run-stopping outside linebacker competing against BYU’s Tyler Batty for the same role. Batty received $259,000 in guaranteed money, so it’ll be an uphill battle for Harmon to make the roster.
Williams is an intriguing prospect who has the potential to make the 53-man roster over fifth-round draft pick Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
Ingram-Dawkins is a freak athlete (9.85 RAS) who showcased his positional versatility at Georgia, a proven SEC power. However, Ingram-Dawkins wasn’t very productive from a statistical standpoint. He only had three sacks last season, and he’ll likely need a year to fine-tune his pass-rush arsenal before becoming an impact player. Williams is more pro-ready and has uniquely positioned himself to make an immediate impact as Minnesota’s next small-school standout.
Elijah Williams’s sacks from 2024. This 290+ lb defensive lineman came into college as an outside linebacker.
Not many prospects in this class can say they’ve played OLB, Edge, 3-tech, and NT at a high level.
Don’t overthink what you see. 📈 pic.twitter.com/lTuV6OM7ZA
— Gerald J. Huggins II, M.A. (@Coach_HugginsII) April 1, 2025
As an undrafted free agent to whom no team offered a contract until rookie minicamp concluded, you may not have heard of Williams. So, who is this guy, and what exactly are the Vikings getting with this signing? That’s what I asked Morgan State defensive line coach Ramal Faunteroy, who was kind enough to share some insight on Minnesota’s newest addition to their defensive line room:
Elijah has played every position on the defensive line at Morgan State, from 9-tech to nose tackle. He plays with great pad level. Can play in any front, odd or even. He can drop into coverage as well (curl/flat, hook/curl, peel with the running back, or be a hot 2/3 play). Also, he’s been a constant starter on special teams and can even become a package player for the offense at tight end/fullback as an extra blocker or receiver. He’s one of the best players that I have ever coached on the defensive line.
This isn’t just a case of a positional coach hyping up one of his former players, because the stat nerds over at Pro Football Focus also think very highly of Williams. For three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024, Williams graded as an elite pass rusher and run defender. He had an 84.6 average PFF pass-rush grade and an 85.3 average run defense grade from 2022 to 2024. Williams had three eight-plus-sack seasons at Morgan State and 77 career pressures.
DL Elijah Williams would be a sneaky good addition for the #Vikings. A small school standout with three 8+ sack seasons, 77 career hurries, and a 90.2 PFF pass rush grade in 2024. Has the positional versatility to play defensive tackle, defensive end, and even outside linebacker. https://t.co/RfRIVwMJpp pic.twitter.com/FAdrrsEXcP
— 𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚𝙧 (@TylerTalksBall) April 28, 2025
Not only was Williams a model of consistency on the field, but he was a role model off it. Faunteroy noted how Williams, a team captain, was always there for his teammates. Williams was unselfish with his time when it came to giving back to the community, and he was often the first one to volunteer for any community service event. As great a player as he was at Morgan State, Faunteroy said he was an even better person, so much so that Williams became the heart of the Morgan State Bears.
Elijah Williams is a great person. He graduated and earned his degree before his senior year. High character, hard worker, loyal, dependable, and leads by example. We call him Mr. Morgan State because he’s very involved with the campus and student life. You’ll see him right in the middle of the student section screaming and cheering his teammates on. He’s never had any off-field issues either. We tell our players, “Don’t be a ‘list’ guy… meaning don’t let your name come up for issues that would embarrass yourself and/or the program.” Elijah does what’s right all the time.
You could draw a parallel between Williams and Levi Drake-Rodriguez, as two highly productive small-school defensive tackles who are a bit undersized. The difference is that Drake-Rodriguez was more of a bull in a china shop in terms of his pass-rush style, whereas Williams is more refined as a pass rusher at defensive tackle. He came up as an outside linebacker, and his pass-rush arsenal reflects that.
Levi Drake-Rodriguez may be ready to take the next step in his second year. Maybe Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is more pro-ready as a prospect than I’m giving him credit for and can immediately make an impact as a rotational defensive lineman in a crowded defensive line room that features Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, and Jalen Redmond. That’s all within the realm of possibility. However, if those guys still need time to develop and the Vikings are looking for a versatile defensive lineman who can make an immediate impact, then Elijah Williams could be their guy.