Looks Like the Vikings Have Their First Summer Darling
The Minnesota Vikings have started their offseason work with OTAs kicking off this week. Many newcomers are in action for the first time.
This time of the year always delivers a couple of players who get buzz throughout the summer. It’s when K.J. Osborn showed glimpses of a breakout season or Ivan Pace Jr. suddenly entered some real starting conversations. Last year, cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was a hot name, though he couldn’t really sustain that hype.
In 2026, defensive lineman Elijah Williams is primed to become a household name after playing a depth role in his rookie season. Last year’s undrafted player has entered the starting lineup, says SI.com’s Will Ragatz.
He wrote in his OTA takeaways, “With Caleb Banks still out, the Vikings’ starting defensive line in the first 11-on-11 period appeared to be Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Elijah Williams. Rookie Domonique Orange was with the other young players on the second field, but I imagine he’ll work his way up quickly this summer.”
Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were both cut in March, making room for younger players in the defensive line rotation. However, the Vikings didn’t turn to 2025 fifth-rounder Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins or to recently added options with more experience, such as Isaiahh Loudermilk or Eric Johnson.
Nose tackle and third-round rookie Domonique Orange has to work his way up, which is normal for first-year players. Top pick Caleb Banks is still recovering from a March foot surgery, but he’s expected to return in time for training camp.
Either way, Williams has gotten the nod. Sure, designations in a random May practice don’t guarantee anything. Even losing his roster spot wouldn’t be a total stunner, but there’s a chance the momentum is real and he can be a real contributor in the upcoming season.
A year ago, Williams was a try-out player in rookie minicamp. The Morgan State product didn’t get drafted and even finding an employer as an undrafted rookie didn’t go smoothly. Ultimately, the Vikings invited him to their rookie minicamp and he stood out, getting one of the remaining roster spots.
Many end-of-roster players just disappear weeks or months later, but Williams stuck around, earning a spot on the 53-man roster after an excellent preseason. His playing time was limited, though, as he only appeared in seven games and 42 defensive snaps.
Still, he made nine tackles and the Vikings saw enough potential to keep him around for the entire season, even when roster spots turned into a premium due to the usual injuries that occur throughout an NFL year.
Coming from Morgan State, the significant jump in competition required some developmental time for the now 23-year-old, but a year later, he might actually compete for snaps in his second campaign in the big league.
In college, he played 42 games in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) at the FCS level. Over that span, he racked up 216 tackles, 52 tackles for loss, and 31 sacks. The Vikings had him listed at 6’3” and 270 pounds last summer; he’s now at 298 pounds, giving him the mass to play interior defensive line in the NFL.
Along the defensive line, the Vikings will certainly rely on Jalen Redmond to lead the group after his 2025 breakout. Rookie Orange and Banks should enter the lineup sooner rather than later, while backup Levi Drake Rodriguez, who played next to Williams in OTAs should continue to have a meaningful role.
Given his pedigree, there’s nothing guaranteed for Williams, but his arrow just keeps pointing up and the fact that the coaches trust him to compete in the top unit is encouraging.
OTAs don’t decide roster spots, but they often reveal which players coaches trust early in the process. Right now, Williams appears to be firmly in that category. For an undrafted defender who entered the league on a tryout basis just one year ago, that’s already a significant jump — and perhaps only the beginning. Number 99 continues to be a guy to watch.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.