Inside The Vikings

Vikings sign two defenders who attended rookie camp as tryout players

Matt Harmon and Elijah Williams have landed contracts from Minnesota after impressing at rookie minicamp.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) runs the ball against Kent State Golden Flashes linebacker Matt Harmon (7) at Neyland Stadium.
Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) runs the ball against Kent State Golden Flashes linebacker Matt Harmon (7) at Neyland Stadium. | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have signed two defenders who attended their rookie minicamp this weekend as tryout players: Kent State outside linebacker Matt Harmon and Morgan State defensive tackle Elijah Williams.

Tryout players are extreme long shots by definition, but now two of the 20 who were at TCO Performance Center over the weekend have taken a big step in the process of potentially realizing their NFL dreams. Harmon and Williams clearly impressed enough to earn a contract and a spot on the 90-man roster, which means they'll be out there with everyone else for the Vikings' offseason program, leading up to the first OTAs at the end of this month. Their next goal will be to earn a spot on the 53-man roster this fall, or maybe more realistically, the 16-man practice squad.

Harmon is a 25-year-old OLB listed at 6'6" and 240 pounds. He spent a whopping seven seasons at Kent State due to injuries and the COVID year. During that time, he played in 49 games. Harmon had a strong season in 2021 with three TFLs, a sack, two forced fumbles, an interception, and five passes defended. His best year came last year, when he recorded 56 tackles, seven TFLs, and two sacks. He'll look to stick around with the Vikings as a special teams contributor and depth player at OLB.

Williams, 22, played in 42 games over four seasons at FCS Morgan State in Baltimore. A 6'2", 285-pound DT, he had 52 TFLs and 31 sacks across an excellent career. That included a career-high 11 sacks last year. Williams is a small-school prospect who is a bit undersized for his position, but the Vikings must have seen something they like in his athleticism and skill set. He dominated at the HBCU Legacy Bowl showcase during the pre-draft process.

The two biggest names among Vikings tryout players, Maine WR Montigo Moss and Nebraska CB Tommi Hill, did not receive contracts.

The Vikings' roster is now full at 91 players, including an exemption for Australian punter Oscar Chapman via the NFL's International Player Pathway Program.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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