Vikings Rookie Sees His Debut Season Come to an End Ahead of Week 18 Game
Vikings rookie defensive lineman Elijah Williams wasn’t supposed to be here. Give the young fella credit for getting onto the 53-man roster, especially since the d-line received ample reinforcements in the offseason.
Earlier in the week, the Vikings announced that Mr. Williams would be shuffled over to the IR, ending his season in the process (while opening a roster spot for corner Zemaiah Vaughn). On the team website, Lindsey Young offered the news, writing, “The Vikings have placed Elijah Williams on Injured Reserve. Minnesota made the move after the undrafted rookie suffered an ankle injury against the Lions last week.”
Vikings Rookie Done for the Season
Young goes on to offer some more details about the young lineman.
She writes: “Williams appeared in seven games for the Vikings this season, contributing on defense and special teams when his number was called. He totaled nine tackles. Williams impressed throughout training camp and during Minnesota’s trio of preseason games, earning him a spot on the team’s active roster.”
Kick the conversation back a touch further. What do we see in Mr. Williams and his story?
The 23-year-old rookie comes in at 6’3″ and 298 pounds. Williams played his college ball at Morgan State, helping him to fly under the radar come draft season. He became a Viking for a three-year contract that promises to pay a touch underneath $3 million. Failing to secure any guaranteed money suggests that the NFL wasn’t participating in a feeding frenzy to secure his services.
As for his level of play, Elijah Williams has earned a 53.7 grade on PFF.
The rookie soaked up 42 snaps along the defensive line. For the most part, Williams played toward the outside of the defensive line. He had 6 snaps out wide as an edge rusher, 5 over tackle (think 5-technique), and then 31 snaps in the B-gap area (think 3-technique). Given his build, Williams likely needs to make his living by proving to be a handful for the NFL’s offensive tackles and guards. Expecting him to lineup across from centers while gobbling up double teams doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
So, too, has there been some work on specials. Elijah Williams helped Matt Daniels by earning 11 snaps on kickoff coverage, 1 on punt return, and 17 on field goal/extra point.
In short, a modest effort overall within the context of the entire NFL. But among the players who got added as undrafted talent? Well, Mr. Williams did exceptionally. There’s even more reason for optimism upon considering the basic reality that demanding $0 in guaranteed cash as an undrafted player makes his ascent to the 53-man roster even more impressive.
Clearly, Williams is someone who is willing to put in the work to overcome odds.
The Vikings’ defensive line is currently being led by Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Jalen Redmond. The first pair of names belong to well-established veterans who are gobbling up ample financial commitments. Redmond, meanwhile, has been the team’s best d-lineman (by a Minnesota mile). The depth has been fortified by Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Taki Taimani.
So, a mix of young and old.
Rolling into 2026, the Vikings will be hoping for Elijah Williams to continue overcoming the odds. He needs to begin by getting healthy. Afterwards, Williams can soak up all that Minnesota has to offer as a team employee with a full, normal offseason for an NFL player.
Finishing off the current season is a Packers game inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, January 4th. The game will occur at noon.
