Shamar Stephen – Can He Make the Vikings?

Shamar Stephen was drafted in the 7th round at pick #220 overall by the Minnesota Vikings. This was a bit below where many of us thought he would go, but I think he landed in a good situation. He’s gone through the Vikings rookie camp and Coach Mike Zimmer had a few nice things to say about him. Here’s four reasons why Shamar has a great chance to make the Vikings squad.

1.) Size

You can’t teach size. Shamar has it. In fact, Coach Zimmer thought he could add even more size already to his 6 foot 5, 310lb frame. He possesses the physical tools to become a force on the Vikings D-line.

2.) Depth

Shamar was the only D-lineman the Vikings took in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Vikings invested a ton of money this offseason in Linval Joseph, and have last year’s 1st rounder Shariff Floyd in the mix. However, they let go of Kevin Williams, and have serviceable backups in Wooten, Baker, and Evans, although none of them really blow you away.  He can definitely compete for a spot in the rotation.

3.) Versatility

Stephen has shown he can play in a 4-3 or be the nose in a 3-4.  He has the size to anchor down any part of the line he is on.  He won’t be a sack guy or a real pass rushing threat, but he can play over either guard or the center and be effective.

4.) Character

Stephen is a class act on and off the field.  He was a captain, and a model citizen during his time at UConn.  He isn’t a headache, possesses a team-first attitude, and I have no reason to think these qualities wouldn’t carry over to his NFL career.

Bottom Line:

All in all, even if the Vikings don’t work out for Stephen, I think he could latch on with a team as the season goes on. Injuries happen, and he could be a nice piece to any defensive line rotation. He’s not ready to come in and start, but I think he could give the Vikings a productive 10-15 snaps per game in his rookie season. I expect to see Stephen on an NFL field this season representing UConn. Good luck Shamar!

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