Any time an NFL team can take a gamble on a highly athletic player as an undrafted free agent, that is a gamble that is usually worth taking. For the Minnesota Vikings, one example of this was the signing of Hercules Mata’afa.
The Washington State defensive lineman didn’t really fit what NFL teams look for at the position. Despite 83 tackles, 21 sacks, and 45.5 tackles for a loss in his 34 games played, he slid right out of the draft and landed in Minnesota.
While many teams saw him as an undersized linebacker, the Vikings wanted him to bulk up and be a defensive tackle.