Hercules Mata’afa is a fine name. It’s like mixing a Greek God with The Lion King. I’d like him a lot more if he had “Detroit Lions defensive lineman” before his name.
There wasn’t much not to like about the 6’2″, 252 pound redshirt-junior defensive tackle. Yeah, you heard correctly. Washington State preferred to use his elite quickness as an interior pass rusher.
His timing of the snap and short area burst is up there with the top of this Draft class. What’s even more remarkable was how well he took on multiple blockers. His strength and bend comes from his wrestling background, and it served him well on the football field.