Shamar Stephen and Hercules Mata’afa
Hercules Mata’afa will be one of the more interesting players to watch on the Vikings this season.
Listed at just 254 pounds, Mata’afa tweeted a photo of himself weighing 289 pounds this offseason. He didn’t put up fantastic stats for the Vikings in his rookie season — 2019 — but a big offseason could vault him into the starting lineup.
A bigger Mata’afa, who can create pressure, is an enticing candidate for the three-technique spot. He might not have to compete with Stephen to win it, either.
That’s because Stephen could possibly move over to the nose spot with Joseph gone and Pierce reportedly opting out of 2020. That’s a relatively small interior defensive line, but if Stephen can perform better than he did in the three-technique last season, and Mata’afa makes a leap in his second NFL season, I could see it happening.