Vikings Sign 2 New Players
The Minnesota Vikings held rookie tryouts for about 20 players last weekend, invitation auditions for rookies who were not drafted nor signed via undrafted free agency.
The Vikings used rookie tryouts last week to find two newcomers.
And soon after the event, the Vikings signed two newcomers, men who will vie for 53-man roster spots this summer.
Matt Harmon (OLB) & Elijah Williams (DT) to Vikings
Craig Peters of Vikings.com announced Monday: “The Vikings rounded out their roster and added to their defense Monday with the announced signings of outside linebacker Matt Harmon and defensive lineman Elijah Williams. Both participated in Minnesota’s rookie minicamp as tryout players.”
It’s a full house now this summer as the Vikings will use the next 3.5 months to trim the roster from 90 players to 53.
Harmon and Williams will be along for the ride.
Matt Harmon (OLB)
Harmon is 6’6″ and 240 pounds, playing at Kent State for a remarkable seven seasons. Yes, you read that right. He’s already 25 years old.
Peters wrote about Harmon: “Harmon played in 49 games at Kent State from 2018-24, recording 105 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, seven passes defensed, an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. During the 2024 season, he posted career bests in total tackles (56), tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (2.0). A native of Rockwood, Michigan, Harmon attended Oscar Carlson High School.”
Kent State Sports provides some very basic biographical intel on Harmon: “Born March 7, 2000. Son of William Harmon and Sophia Bowman. Has three siblings, Brandi, Leslie and Micah. Majoring in Exploratory Studies. Member of 9-2 state playoff team his senior year at Oscar A. Carlson High School. Named Second Team All-State and All-Region his senior season. Three-time member of the All-Downriver Conference team. Lettered in football, basketball and track. Rated a 3-star recruit out of high school by 247sports.com.”
The man doesn’t have much of a scouting report, and it’s not easy to find his college tape. Folks will have to rely on his training camp footage for a complete assessment.
Harmon’s Possible Role
The Vikings have plenty of outside linebackers, including Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Bo Richter, and Gabriel Murphy. Harmon likely won’t come anywhere close to touching those jobs in 2025, but realistically, he could find a practice squad role in 2025.
The man is already 25, so he should be more game-ready than most. It’s just unclear if this deep of a draft sleeper would make noise this summer. Probably not.
Elijah Williams (DL)
Peters noted Williams’ accolades at Morgan State: “Williams played in 42 games at Morgan State from 2021-24, recording 216 tackles, 52 tackles for loss, 31 sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. In his final season with the Bears, Williams registered career highs in games played (12) and sacks (11), and his 15 tackles for loss were the second most in a season in his career, trailing only his total from the 2022 season (19).
“Williams, who logged 4.0 sacks as a freshman in 2021, tallied at least 7.0 sacks in each of his final three seasons from 2022-24. He is from Jersey City, New Jersey.”
The new Viking credited his father for gridiron success in a January interview: “My father was definitely a big part of my success. He really set the foundation. Even though he’s not the Babe Ruth or anything or the best at any sport, he understood what it took. During the summer, I had to stay 105 so I wouldn’t be a heavyweight on the D-line. We’d be down at the park grinding. Then we’d walk across the street, go to the pool, get another pool workout.”
“He made it fun for me. And that’s how I really view grinding now. Like, it hurts, but it’s fun at the same time. Keep God first in everything you do. He’s really gonna put you in the situations that you need to be in, not necessarily the places you want to be.”
Williams’ Possible Role
Williams is just like Harmon per roster outlook. He, too, has no tangible NFL scouting report, and his game footage from Morgan State is not easily accessible.
For such an “unknown,” his best-case scenario for 2025 is probably a practice squad assignment. The Vikings notably employ defensive tackles Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, and Jalen Redmond, in addition to three others.
Williams is listed at 6’3″ and 270 pounds.
Randy Moss’ son, Montigo Moss, who attended the tryout, has not signed with the club.
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