As we commemorate the NFL’s 100th season this year, our Kyle Ratke made his selections for the top 100 players in Minnesota Vikings history. Here’s a look at his list:
100. WR Stefon Diggs (2015-present)
This pick is perhaps a bit generous, considering Diggs only has played four NFL seasons, but the former fifth-round pick has averaged 75 catches, 873 yards and six touchdowns per season and is coming off a year with 102 catches, 1,021 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Talent-wise, Diggs would be ranked higher on this list, and he likely will be in a few years.
99. G Larry Bowie (1962-1968)
Bowie played seven effective seasons with the club. The Vikings ran for 1,800 yards or more in each season of Bowie’s career and hit the 2,000-yard mark three times. The Vikings weren’t a very dominant team during this stretch, but that was no fault of Bowie’s.
98. QB Warren Moon (1994-1996)
No, Moon isn’t in the Hall of Fame for what he did with during his time with the Vikings, but those three seasons certainly didn’t hurt. Moon made the Pro Bowl in both 1994 and 1995. In 1994, he threw for 4,284 yards and 18 touchdowns. The next season, he compiled 4,228 yards and 33 touchdowns.
He led the team to an NFC Central championship in 1994, although the team lost in the wild-card game to the Bears.
In related news, Cris Carter (who will appear later on this list) had 122 catches in both 1994 and 1995.
97. LB Eric Kendricks (2015-present)
While Kendrick hasn’t made a Pro Bowl or might not be the flashiest player, he’s been one of the most consistent players on this Vikings defense since being drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He’s piled up 272 solo tackles in his career, a mark that already ranks 16th in team history.
Plus, he’s only missed five games in his career, which is incredibly rare for a linebacker. Sometimes the best ability is availability.
96. DB John Turner (1979-1983, 1985, 1987)
The 1979 second-round pick had 22 of his 24 career interceptions with the Vikings. He wasn’t necessarily a shut-down cornerback, but he was a good one for a long stretch of time.
After his career, Turner, who was born in Miami, made Minnesota his home and ended up coaching a semi-pro team in St. Paul.
95. DE Danielle Hunter (2015-present)
A third-round pick in 2015, Hunter has proven to be an absolute steal for the Vikings. Currently, he’s one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. At 24, he’s only going to get better.
He piled up a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2018, and with 40 career sacks already, he ranks 11th in team history. If he can pile up 10 sacks for the next three seasons (when he’ll only be 27!), he’ll move into the top four. Hunter has an excellent chance to be in the Vikings Ring of Honor one day.
94. QB Brad Johnson (1994-1998, 2005-2006)
Johnson was never a world-beater for Minnesota, but he was steady when they needed him. During his time with the Vikings, he threw for 11,098 yards, 65 touchdowns and 48 interceptions. His best season came in 1997 when he threw for 3,036 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
In 1998, Johnson sprained his ankle in the third game. Randall Cunningham took over, guiding Minnesota to the NFC Championship Game. The Vikings traded Johnson to the Redskins for first- and third-round picks. That first-round pick ended up being Daunte Culpepper.
In 2015 and 2016, Johnson returned to the Vikings to start 23 games. The Vikings went 13-10 in those games.
93. CB Earselle Mackbee (1965-1969)
He only spent five seasons with the Vikings, but he was an interception machine during that time, picking off 15 passes despite not having any in his rookie season.
Between Mackbee and Paul Krause, Minnesota had quite the dynamic duo in the defensive backfield.
Mackbee started in Super Bowl IV against the Chiefs on Jan. 11, 1970, but was injured on a missed tackle and never played in the league again.
92. LB Ben Leber (2006-2010)
During his five-year stretch with the Vikings, Leber piled up 205 solo tackles, forced nine fumbles and recorded 12 sacks and five interceptions.
The pass interference call on Leber in the NFC Championship Game in January 2010 will forever haunt Vikings fans, but he was a stabilizing force in the locker room during his time in Minnesota.
91. OL Charles Goodrum (1973-1979)
Goodrum was a starting offensive lineman for the Vikings for three Super Bowl runs over a four-year stretch. And while you know they lost all three of those games, that speaks to how good Minnesota’s offensive line was, and a big chunk of that had to do with Goodrum.
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90. CB Xavier Rhodes (2013-present)
While Rhodes is coming off a down 2018 season, you can’t ignore how dominant he was in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the Rhodes Closed mantra was 100 percent accurate. That season, he shut down top receivers such as Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones, Antonio Brown and Mike Evans. Rhodes uses physicality to his advantage, but that can also get him in trouble. He peaked as a top-five cornerback in the league.
At only 29 years old, the hope is he can get back to that form in 2019.
89. DT James White (1976-1983)
White was a fixture on Minnesota’s defense over an eight-year stretch, playing in 117 games and starting 61 of them. He was part of five playoff runs, including a trip to the Super Bowl in the 1976 season.
The first-round pick out of Oklahoma State had 1.5 sacks in two playoff games in 1982 and played in nine postseason games overall for Minnesota.
88. QB Wade Wilson (1981-1991)
Selected in the eighth round of the 1981 draft, Wild Wade wasn’t expected to be a starting quarterback, but he wound up filling that role at the end of his tenure in Minnesota. He amassed a 27-21 record as Vikings starter, leading them to three playoff appearances, including a run to the NFC Championship Game in 1987.
Wilson threw for 12,135 yards and 66 touchdowns in his time with the Vikings, while running for another nine touchdowns.
His best season came in 1988, when he threw for 2,746 yards and 15 touchdowns while leading the league with a completion percentage of 61.4.
87. QB Randall Cunningham (1997-1999)
Cunningham only played in 27 games with the Vikings, and only one season stands out, but my goodness was that season a special one.
The 1998 Vikings went 15-1, and after Brad Johnson went down with an ankle injury after two games, Cunningham came in and absolutely slinged it, throwing for 3,704 yards and 34 touchdowns at age 35.
It was one of the best seasons from a quarterback in Vikings history.
Minnesota advanced to the NFC Championship Game, but Gary Anderson’s infamous missed field goal kept the Vikings from advancing to Super Bowl XXXIII.
During that playoff run of two games, Cunningham passed for five touchdowns and ran in another.
86. G Jim Hough (1978-1986)
Hough spent nine seasons with the Vikings, starting 75 games throughout his career. Hough wasn’t fancy, but he was a dependable offensive lineman for nearly a decade. As the current Vikings team knows, that’s a pretty valuable thing.
85. C John Sullivan (2008-14)
Sullivan was solid in seven years with the Vikings, starting 93 out of 109 games. Somehow, Sullivan managed to miss just three games in his time with the Vikings.
He was a big part of the team’s run to the NFC Championship Game in the 2009 season with Brett Favre at quarterback. That team ranked second in in the NFL in points scored and fifth in total yards.
Sullivan was also the center for the team when Adrian Peterson ran for 2,097 yards in 2012.
84. WR Gene Washington (1967-1972)
Washington’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but you have to remember that the passing game has changed dramatically over the years.
In his six-year stretch with the Vikings, Washington hauled in 172 passes for 3,087 yards and 23 touchdowns. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 1969 and 1970. He was also named All-Pro in 1969, catching 39 passes for 821 yards (21.1 yards per catch) to go with nine touchdowns.
In the 1969 playoff run to the Super Bowl, Washington had eight catches for 219 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, in Super Bowl IV against the Chiefs, Washington had just one catch for nine yards.
83. RB Tommy Mason (1961-1966)
Drafted No. 1 overall out of Tulane, Mason was a rare dual-threat running back when that really wasn’t a thing in the early 1960s. From 1962-64, Mason averaged 731 rushing yards and 402 receiving yards per season. He was a Pro Bowler in each season and made the All-Pro team in 1963, rushing for a career-high 763 yards to go with 365 receiving yards and a combined nine touchdowns.
The expansion Vikings weren’t very good in those three seasons, but Mason wasn’t to blame.
82. C Kirk Lowdermilk (1985-1992)
In his eight-year career with the Vikings, Lowdermilk started 86 of 114 regular-season games and also made seven playoff starts.
He helped anchor the offensive line that advanced to the 1987 NFC Championship Game. The Vikings ranked 11th in the league with 1,983 rushing yards and first with 20 rushing touchdowns that season, and Lowdermilk was a big reason for that success.
81. S Orlando Thomas (1995-2001)
Thomas quickly emerged as an elite safety, leading the league with nine interceptions as a rookie. Thomas and Robert Griffith formed one of the best safety duos in the league. Thomas’ 22 interceptions rank seventh in team history.
Sadly, Thomas died at age 42 of complications from ALS on November 9, 2014.
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80. WR John Gilliam (1972-1975)
Things really clicked for Gilliam once he became a member of the Vikings after five seasons with the Saints and Cardinals. In his first season with Minnesota, Gilliam had 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the NFL with 22 yards per catch.
He only played four seasons with the Vikings, but he made the Pro Bowl in each one, finishing with 3,297 yards and 27 touchdowns in his time with the Vikings.
Gilliam was a huge piece of the team’s Super Bowl runs in the 1973 and 1974 seasons. He combined for five touchdowns in the playoffs during those seasons.
79. WR Percy Harvin (2009-2012)
What could have been.
After the Vikings selected Harvin in the first round in the 2009 NFL Draft, he compiled 925 yards from scrimmage and six receiving touchdowns as a rookie. What made him even more dangerous was his skill on kickoff returns, where he scored two more touchdowns.
Harvin is a guy who could do it all and is exactly what modern-day NFL teams are looking for — a shifty player with speed who can catch and run. He was a favorite of Brett Favre as a rookie, along with Sidney Rice.
But after four seasons with the Vikings, there were issues on both sides that caused the relationship to sour.
In total, Harvin had 3,985 yards from scrimmage and 29 total touchdowns with the Vikings.
78. QB Brett Favre (2009-2010)
Favre’s inclusion on this list is similar to Cunningham’s at No. 87. Favre’s first year with the Vikings was a memorable one. In the 2009 season, Favre led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game while throwing for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Battered and heavily bruised by a Saints defense that was later harshly punished by the NFL for putting bounties on opposing players, Favre’s pivotal interception to Tracy Porter will be what’s remembered by many. But the fact that Favre had the Vikings so close to the Super Bowl earns him a spot on this list.
77. T Phil Loadholt (2009-2014)
Don’t let Loadholt’s relatively short career fool you. During his six seasons with the Vikings, Loadholt was one of the better tackles in the league and a big part of Adrian Peterson’s success. Had analytics been advanced as they are now, Loadholt almost certainly would be more highly regarded.
Unfortunately, Loadholt ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2015, which led to an early retirement.
76. LB Anthony Barr (2014-present)
While Barr hasn’t always been consistent, you don’t become a four-time Pro Bowler by accident. He has been a big part of Mike Zimmer’s defense and is versatile in both the run and pass game.
Barr, who already has recorded 338 career tackles, should creep up on this list in the coming years. He’s only 27 and just hitting the prime of his career.
75. NT Linval Joseph (2014-present)
Joseph has been a huge reason why Minnesota has been so good against the run in recent years. In 2017, Joseph and the Vikings run defense were at their best, allowing fewer than 1,400 rushing yards, a mark that ranked second in the NFL.
Joseph might get overlooked on a defense with talent at many positions, but a lot of the unit’s success starts with him.
74. G Wes Hamilton (1976-1984)
In nine seasons, Hamilton appeared in 116 games for the Vikings, starting 92. He was part of the team for five playoff runs, including Minnesota’s trip to the Super Bowl in the 1976 season.
That 1976 team ranked in the top 10 in points scored and total yards.
73. S Tom Hannon (1977-1984)
From 1978-81, Hannon was one of the better safeties in the NFL, grabbing 14 of his 15 career interceptions during that stretch.
He also had a remarkable knack for recovering fumbles, picking up 13 throughout his career, and he appeared in six playoff games for the Vikings.
72. TE Kyle Rudolph (2011-present)
Since being drafted in the second round out of Notre Dame, Rudolph has been one of the most consistent tight ends in the NFL. Rudolph isn’t even 30, yet he already has 386 catches (eighth in team history) for 3,787 yards (ninth) and 41 touchdowns (fifth).
His best season came in 2016, when he caught 83 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. Somehow, that wasn’t one of his two Pro Bowl seasons.
71. RB Darrin Nelson (1982-1989, 1991-1992)
Nelson was a do-it-all running back who totaled 6,433 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Vikings as a running back/receiver hybrid. In 1987, he averaged 4.9 yards per carry, a mark that led the league.
He also contributed in the return game, averaging 23 yards per kick return and 8.0 per punt return with the Vikings. Nelson was huge in the team’s 44-10 wild-card win over the Saints in the 1987 season, rushing for 73 yards and adding another 56 on two receptions.
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70. S Robert Griffith (1994-2001)
Griffith was one of the hardest-hitting safeties during his time with the Vikings, and going across the middle against him was a risk seldom worth taking for opposing receivers.
Griffith started 88 out of 119 games with the Vikings and had 634 tackles to go with 17 interceptions, 7.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He was an integral part of the team’s run to the NFC Championship Game in the 1998 season.
69. T Korey Stringer (1995-2000)
This is a sad one. Stringer died on Aug. 1, 2001, after complications from a heat stroke at training camp. This came a year after he made his first Pro Bowl with the Vikings. Stringer was just hitting his prime and emerging as one of the top offensive tackles in the NFL. Stringer started 91 regular-season games with the Vikings and missed just three games during his career. He also appeared in nine playoff games for the Vikings.
68. DT Paul Dickson (1961-1970)
Upon joining the expansion Vikings from Dallas, Dickson switched positions from offensive tackle to defensive tackle — and he acquitted himself well on the other side of the ball. Dickson started 81 of 129 games with the Vikings. And while he ended up being passed on the depth chart by future Hall of Famer Alan Page in 1968, he was still very much a part of The Purple People Eaters.
67. DE Brian Robison (2007-2017)
What an absolute steal Robison was for the Vikings. The 2007 fourth-round pick piled up 60 sacks in his career, a mark that ranks tied for fifth in team history.
His best run was from 2011-13 when he had eight, 8.5 and nine sacks, respectively.
Robison was a consistent force for the Vikings over a decade that included two trips to the NFC Championship Game. He’s regarded as a great leader and locker room presence.
66. C Jeff Christy (1993-1999)
65. WR Adam Thielen (2014-present)
Is this too high for Thielen? Maybe. But over the past two seasons, Thielen has been dominant, averaging 102 catches, 1,324 yards and 6.5 touchdowns.
In 2018, we saw Thielen rattle off eight 100-yard games to start the season. He finished with a total of nine to set a team record.
Thielen should continue to climb this list, much like he has in the NFL after being undrafted out of Minnesota State University, Mankato. The 29-year-old has 293 catches for 3,897 yards already in his career, marks that rank 12th and eighth in team history, respectively.
64. DE Doug Martin (1980-1989)
He led the league in sacks with 11.5 in 1982 and backed that up with 13 sacks the next season.
Martin finished his career with 50.5 career sacks.
63. RB Dave Osborne (1965-1975)
Osborne was a staple on the successful Vikings teams in the late 1960s and early ’70s.
The Vikings made seven playoff appearances in Osborne’s time with the club, including three trips to the Super Bowl.
In the team’s 1969 playoff run, Osborne scored three touchdowns.
Throughout his career with the Vikings, Osborne amassed 4,320 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns. He was a receiving threat, too, catching 173 passes for 1,412 yards and seven touchdowns.
62. CB Nate Wright (1972-1980)
Wright was an absolute ballhawk with the Vikings, picking off 31 passes in his time with the team, a mark that ranks fifth in team history. From 1973-78, Wright never missed a game, starting 85 of 86 games. That’s value.
Wright was part of two Super Bowl teams for the Vikings. He returned a fumble for a touchdown in the first round of the 1974 playoffs against the Cardinals and recovered two more fumbles a week later in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams.
61. LB E.J. Henderson (2003-2011)
Henderson was a solid player over his nine-year career with the Vikings. He started 105 games and racked up 751 total tackles and 552 solo tackles (seventh in team history).
He was remarkable in 2007, when he finished with 118 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
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60. LB Ed McDaniel (1992-2001)
McDaniel was a tackling machine with the Vikings, piling up 794 combined tackles and 603 solo tackles, a mark that ranks sixth in team history.
He led the league with six forced fumbles in 1995, and during the team’s 15-1 season in 1998, he totaled career highs of 128 tackles and seven sacks.
59. FB Ted Brown (1979-1986)
The numbers Brown was able to put up as a fullback over his eight-year career are fairly ridiculous. Brown totaled 4,546 rushing yards (fifth in team history) and 40 touchdowns (fourth), while also piling up 2,850 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
His best season came in 1981, when he had a total of 1,757 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns.
58. NT Pat Williams (2005-2010)
Pat Williams will go down as one of the best free-agent signings in Vikings history.
He and Kevin Williams formed the Williams Wall, and Pat was critical to the team’s success against the run. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, the Vikings ranked first in the league against the rush. In 2009, they fell all the way to No. 2.
His time in Minnesota was short, but it was incredibly effective.
57. DT Doug Sutherland (1971-1980)
Sutherland was a member of the famed Purple People Eaters of the 1970s. He started 90 of 138 games with the Vikings and was part of three Super Bowl runs with the team. During the 1974-76 postseasons, Sutherland recorded 3.5 sacks.
56. DE Mark Mullaney (1975-1986)
Mullaney was another in the line of great defensive lineman for the Vikings in the late 1970s and ’80s. He had 45.5 career sacks while starting 97 of 151 career games. He also appeared in 10 playoff games, starting four. Mullaney also forced 13 fumbles. Fun fact: Mullaney was the first player in NFL history to wear a dark-tinted visor over his helmet.
55. WR Jake Reed (1991-1999, 2001)
Even playing alongside Randy Moss and Cris Carter, opposing teams couldn’t sleep on Jake Reed, and that’s what made the Three Deep receiving unit so dangerous. In Reed’s 10-season Vikings career, he totaled 413 catches (fifth in team history) for 6,433 yards (fourth) and 33 touchdowns (seventh).
His best season came in 1996 when he caught 72 passes for 1,320 yards and seven touchdowns.
54. C Dennis Swilley (1977-1987)
Swilley held down the middle of the Vikings’ offensive line for seven years, starting 100 games for Minnesota from 1979-86.
He played in all but two of the Vikings’ games during his first nine season with the team, and he was part of four playoff runs during that span.
53. G Milt Sunde (1964-1974)
Sunde was part of two Super Bowl runs with the Vikings during his 11-year career and earned Pro Bowl honors in 1966. Sunde started 113 games over his career, including 11 in the playoffs. Not bad for a 20th-round draft pick!
52. LB Lonnie Warwick (1965-1972)
Warwick had a unique sense of knowing where the ball was in his career. Warwick had 12 interceptions and six fumble recoveries during his eight-year career with the Vikings, which included 84 starts.
He appeared in six playoff games for Minnesota and was a starter for the team in 1969 when the Vikings made a run to their first Super Bowl.
51. S Karl Kassulke (1963-1972)
Kassulke was a key contributor to the Vikings defense during the team’s first decade of existence and was part of the team’s Super Bowl run in the 1969 season.
Kassulke started 117 of 131 games in his career and had 19 career interceptions. Kassulke’s career ended when he was involved in a motorcycle accident, which left him paralyzed from the waist down, in the summer of 1973 on the way to training camp.
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50. DL Keith Millard (1985-1990)
Millard was an absolute stud for the Vikings during his six-year stretch in Minnesota, piling up 53 sacks — including 18 in 1989, when he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. It’s a shame that Millard suffered a knee injury in 1990 and was never the same player, even though he was only 28 years old. He missed the entire 1991 season and would go on to play for the Packers, Seahawks and Eagles, but had just five more career sacks.
49. WR Ahmad Rashad (1976-1982)
Before becoming a television personality, Rashad was one of the top receivers in the NFL. He enjoyed back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 1979 and 1980 and compiled 17 total touchdowns during those two seasons.
Overall, Rashad totaled 400 receptions (sixth in team history) for 5,489 yards (seventh) and 34 touchdowns (sixth) in his Minnesota career. He’s known for the Miracle At The Met catch that delivered the Vikings an NFC Central championship.
Rashad was part of the 1976 team that advanced to the Super Bowl.
48. WR Sammy White (1976-1985)
White was a threat from the very beginning. In his first pro season, the Vikings advanced to the Super Bowl. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, finishing with 51 catches for 906 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Through the first six years of his career, White had at least 700 receiving yards in each season, something that was rare during that era.
Over his 10-year career, White finished with 393 catches (seventh in team history), 6,400 yards (fifth) and 50 touchdowns (fourth).
47. T Steve Riley (1974-1984)
Being a left tackle in the NFL is difficult. Being a left tackle who starts 128 games for a good team over an 11-year stretch is extremely rare. That’s what Riley did for the Vikings. He appeared in six playoff runs for Minnesota, including Super Bowl runs in the 1974 and 1976 seasons.
46. LB Fred McNeill (1974-1985)
McNeill started 122 regular-season games for the Vikings over his 12-year career and also appeared in 13 playoff games, including two Super Bowls. He blocked a punt in Super Bowl XI against the Raiders.
Later in life, McNeill became the first person to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy while alive. The presence of CTE in his brain was confirmed after he died on Nov. 3, 2015, at age 63.
45. DT Henry Thomas (1987-1994)
Thomas ranks among the most underrated Vikings in team history. He was the rare defensive tackle who could stuff the run effectively and also rush the quarterback.
In his eight-year Minnesota career, Thomas piled up 56 sacks. In 1988, he led the NFL with four forced fumbles. The next season, he had three more.
He appeared in nine playoff games with the Vikings and had two sacks and two fumble recoveries in those games.
44. WR Anthony Carter (1985-1993)
Carter recorded three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 1988-90, and combined for 18 touchdowns over that span. His best season came in 1988, when he caught 72 passes for 1,225 yards and seven touchdowns.
He’s known for his memorable playoff performance against the 49ers in January 1988. He hauled in 10 catches for 227 yards and a touchdown to help the Vikings advance to the NFC Championship Game. That was a week after he returned a punt for a touchdown against the Saints in the wild-card round. His 642 all-purpose yards in a single postseason remains an NFL record.
Carter finished his Vikings career with 478 catches (fourth in team history) for 7,636 yards (third) and 52 touchdowns (third).
43. LT Todd Steussie (1994-2000)
Sometimes, positions matter on these lists. The fact that Steussie was a starting left tackle, and a Pro Bowl one at that, for a historic Vikings team in 1998 goes a long way.
In his seven seasons with the Vikings, Steussie missed just one game. He earned Pro Bowl honors in the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
42. DE Everson Griffen (2010-present)
Griffen has been a sack machine in his time with the Vikings. He has 66.5 career sacks at age 31. In 2017, he had a career-high 13 sacks before dealing with off-the-field issues in 2018, when he had just 5.5 sacks.
If he can get back to his previous form in 2019, Griffen has the potential to move up on this list quite a bit.
41. TE Steve Jordan (1982-1994)
What a stud Jordan was for the Vikings. He was a great combination of a receiving and blocking tight end. During his stretch of six consecutive Pro Bowl seasons from 1986-91, Jordan averaged 48 catches, 648 yards and four touchdowns per season.
Jordan is considered the best tight end in team history, but Kyle Rudolph is knocking on the door.
Jordan ended his 13-year career with 498 catches (third in team history) for 6,307 yards (sixth) and 28 touchdowns (eighth).
His son, Cam, is a standout defensive end for the Saints.
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40. LT Gary Zimmerman (1986-1992)
There weren’t many better than Zimmerman during his time with the Vikings. Zimmerman helped lead the Vikings to four playoff appearances and was named to three Pro Bowls. His dominance continued after his time with the Vikings, as he received three more Pro Bowl nods with the Broncos and won a Super Bowl in 1997.
39. LB Jeff Siemon (1972-1982)
Siemon lived out a dream by playing for the Vikings. Born and raised in Minnesota, Siemon started 123 games for the team and was a big part of what made that defense successful.
Siemon was a key member of Minnesota teams that reached the playoffs eight times in 11 seasons, and he appeared in three of the team’s four Super Bowls. He intercepted 11 passes as a Viking and was named to four Pro Bowl rosters.
38. G David Dixon (1994-2004)
Dixon was a consistent performer in 11 seasons with the Vikings. He started 134 games overall and missed just two games in his final seven pro seasons.
Dixon appeared in six playoff runs for the Vikings, including two NFC Championship Games.
37. CB Carl Lee (1983-1992)
Lee lands here on our list because of his rare combination of talent and longevity at the cornerback position.
He peaked in 1988, earning All-Pro status after intercepting eight passes and returning two of them for touchdowns. He was named to three Pro Bowls overall and ended his Vikings career with 31 interceptions, a mark that ranks sixth in team history.
36. RB Robert Smith (1993-2000)
Smith was at the top of his game when he retired. From 1997-2000, Smith hit the 1,000-yard rushing mark in each season. The best season of his career was the last, when he ran for 1,521 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 348 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.
Smith said a major reason for his retirement at age 28 was to protect his body from further damage.
He ended his career with 6,818 rushing yards (second in team history) and 32 touchdowns (fifth).
35. LB Chad Greenway (2006-2016)
Greenway was all over the field for the Vikings during his 11-year career. After tearing his ACL in his first preseason game, Greenway would bounce back and finish his career with 760 solo tackles, a mark that ranks second in team history.
Greenway wasn’t just great on the field, helping Minnesota make four postseason appearances, he also played a key role in the team’s locker room and culture.
34. DE Jared Allen (2008-2013)
The Vikings took a gamble on Allen, trading a first-round pick and two third-round picks for him in 2008.
It’s safe to say that deal with Kansas City paid off.
In his six-year stretch with the Vikings, Allen earned four Pro Bowl nods and recorded 85.5 sacks, including a league-leading 22 sacks in 2011.
Not once in his time with the Vikings did Allen have fewer than 11 sacks in a season. That’s ridiculous. Allen will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration in 2020.
33. K Fred Cox (1963-1977)
Cox appeared in all four of the team’s Super Bowls. During a long, productive career, he drilled 282 of 455 field-goal attempts. That 62 percent isn’t impressive now, but the context was much different then. Cox wouldn’t have kept his job for 15 seasons if he wasn’t good. He led the NFL by hitting 70.3 percent of his kicks in 1969.
Cox ranks first in team history in field goals and extra points (519) made.
32. LB Wally Hilgenberg (1968-1979)
After spending the first three seasons of his career in Detroit, Hilgenberg played the final 12 seasons of his career with the Vikings, starting 117 games.
The Vikings failed to make the postseason just three times during Hilgenberg’s time with the team. He’s one of 11 players to play in all four of the team’s Super Bowl appearances.
31. QB Tommy Kramer (1977-1989)
Kramer started 110 games for the Vikings over a 13-year stretch. He threw for 450 yards in a game twice, the first quarterback to do so in league history.
Unfortunately, Kramer suffered a litany of injuries during his career, but he did lead the Vikings to 15 comebacks and 19 game-winning drives.
His best season with Minnesota was 1986, when he threw for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Vikings made the playoffs five times with Kramer under center.
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30. LT Tim Irwin (1981-1993)
Irwin started 187 games for the Vikings of the course of 13 seasons. While he never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, he was almost always in the lineup, playing through injuries that might have kept others out.
Having a player you can depend on for more than a decade, especially a starting tackle, is a dream for any team.
29. CB Ed Sharockman (1961-1972)
Sharockman was a ballhawk before being a ballhawk was cool. He amassed 40 career interceptions, a mark that ranks third in team history.
He started 125 games over his 12-year career with the Vikings and played in six postseason contests, including Super Bowl IV.
28. DT Gary Larsen (1965-1974)
Larsen was a member of the famed Purple People Eaters defensive line and started 114 games for Minnesota a 10-year stretch.
While his 38.5 career sacks (unofficial, as sacks didn’t become an official stat until 1982) might not seem like much, Larsen was a run stuffer and was incredibly important to that unit.
27. S Harrison Smith (2012-present)
Smith has been the face of Mike Zimmer’s defense in recent years, and for good reason. He’s exceptional against both the run and pass. The Hitman is one of the toughest safeties in the league, but that doesn’t take anything away from his coverage game.
The way he reads offenses from the safety position is remarkable. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded him as the best defensive player in the NFL. His 98.8 grade was the highest in PFF history.
In 98 starts, Smith has 20 career interceptions and 566 combined tackles. At 30 years old, there’s more to come for Smith.
26. C Matt Birk (1998-2008)
The St. Paul native ended up being one of the best offensive linemen in Vikings history.
A sixth-round pick out of Harvard in 1998, Birk helped pave the way for a lot of the success that quarterback Daunte Culpepper enjoyed in Minnesota.
Minnesota made the playoffs five times with Birk on the roster, and he was named to six Pro Bowl rosters as a Viking.
He earned a Super Bowl ring in the final season of his career, winning a championship with the Ravens in the 2012 season.
25. FB Bill Brown (1962-1974)
Brown was a dual-threat fullback (yes, that was a thing) and accounted for 8,934 all-purpose yards with the Vikings over 13 seasons to go with 75 touchdowns.
He was part of six playoff runs and three Super Bowl appearances.
No Vikings running back has played in more regular-season games (180) than Brown. He also competed in 12 postseason contests.
24. G Steve Hutchinson (2006-2011)
The poison pill contract. That’s how the Vikings acquired Hutchinson in free agency via the Seahawks, and it’s a move that paid off. Hutchinson was the cornerstone of an offensive line that had great success running the ball with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. He was a key figure on the 2009 team that advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
Hutchinson is almost certain to receive Hall of Fame induction in the coming years. He was named to four Pro Bowl rosters as a member of the Vikings and seven overall during his career.
23. CB Antoine Winfield (2004-2012)
Talk about a player who doesn’t get the respect he deserves. In his prime with the Vikings, no corner was better against the run than Winfield.
He was also solid in coverage, finishing with 21 interceptions in his time with the Vikings. At 5-foot-9, he wasn’t the biggest guy, but his speed and skills helped him earn three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2008-10. His 613 solo tackles with the Vikings rank fifth in team history.
22. QB Daunte Culpepper (1999-2005)
Culpepper could have been much higher on this list had a nasty knee injury not ended his tenure with the Vikings.
In his first season as a starter in 2000, Culpepper led the NFL with 33 touchdown passes. The 2004 season was his best. Culpepper threw for a league-leading 4,717 yards and 39 touchdowns.
In 81 games with the Vikings, Culpepper threw for 20,161 yards and 135 touchdowns, both third in team history.
He was also a threat on the ground, running for 29 touchdowns as a Viking, a mark that’s tied for sixth in team history.
21. CB Bobby Bryant (1968-1980)
Bryant was there for the glory days of the Vikings and was a key contributor of the team’s four Super Bowl runs.
The lockdown corner had 51 career interceptions, a mark that ranks just two behind Paul Krause for the most in team history.
Bryant is remembered for returning a blocked field goal 90 yards for a touchdown in the 1976 NFC Championship Game against the Rams, helping the Vikings advance to Super Bowl XI.
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20. RB Chuck Foreman (1973-1979)
Foreman would thrive in today’s NFL as a dual threat.
In his seven seasons with the Vikings, Foreman compiled 8,944 yards from scrimmage and scored 75 touchdowns.
In 1975, he ran for 1,070 yards and 13 touchdowns and added a league-leading 73 catches for 691 yards and nine touchdowns.
Foreman ranks third in franchise history with 5,887 rushing yards, second with 52 rushing touchdowns, 10th with 336 receptions and 13th with 23 receiving touchdowns.
19. LB Roy Winston (1962-1976)
Winston appeared in all four Super Bowls for the Vikings.
At 5-foot-11, 222 pounds, Winston wasn’t a big guy, but he was considered one of the hardest-hitting linebackers in the league during his time.
He started 158 regular-season games for the Vikings over his 15-year career and also appeared in 14 playoff contests.
18. S Joey Browner (1983-1991)
Before Harrison Smith, there was Joey Browner.
Browner had 37 interceptions in his career to go with 17 fumble recoveries in 138 games with the Vikings. He had a nose for the ball, and also one for receivers coming across the middle.
In the 1988 playoffs, Browner had three interceptions in two games. The previous season, he helped the team get to the NFC Championship Game. Browner has been nominated for the Hall of Fame nine times in his career.
17. LB Matt Blair (1974-1985)
Blair was not only a great linebacker, he was also a great special teams player. His 20 blocked kicks rank third in NFL history.
He appeared in two Super Bowls, and contributed in both.
His prime was from 1977-82 when he made the Pro Bowl in each season. Blair was good in pass coverage, finishing his career with 16 interceptions.
16. LT Grady Alderman (1961-1974)
Alderman set the tone for the Vikings offense for a 14-year stretch that included two trips to the Super Bowl.
Alderman was an original Viking, a fact in which he took great pride.
The Vikings made the postseason six times with Alderman on the offensive line. The 2019 Vikings would love to have someone like Alderman right about now.
15. LB Scott Studwell (1977-1990)
Studwell started 160 of 201 games in his career, spent exclusively with the Vikings, and piled up a remarkable 1,981 tackles.
He was the ultimate throwback linebacker on this team, and his ranking on this list is boosted a bit higher because of his contributions to the team’s scouting department after his playing career. He retired in 2019 after 42 seasons with the organization. That’s pretty special.
14. DT Kevin Williams (2003-2013)
Williams was the most dominant interior defensive lineman in football from 2004-10.
He was formidable against the run, but what made him so special was his ability to pressure the quarterback. Williams piled up 60 career sacks with the Vikings, a huge number for a defensive tackle.
Williams had a quiet demeanor, but don’t let that fool you. With five first-team All-Pro appearances, Williams has an excellent case for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
13. DE Chris Doleman (1985-1993, 1999)
Doleman was an absolute nightmare to block. With uncommon strength and quickness, he finished his career with 150.5 career sacks — 96.5 of those coming as a Viking.
His best season came in 1989, when he had a league-leading 21 sacks at age 28.
Doleman appeared in 154 regular-season games with the Vikings, plus an additional 10 playoff contests. He scored three career touchdowns off turnovers, which is impressive for a defensive lineman.
12. S Paul Krause (1968-1979)
We’ve made it to the NFL leader in interceptions.
Krause ended his career with 81 picks, and 53 of those came as a Viking, a team record.
It wasn’t just interceptions, though. Krause, the true center fielder of a formidable Vikings defense, also recovered 19 fumbles in his career.
He appeared in all four Super Bowls for the Vikings and remarkably missed just two games in his career.
11. DL John Randle (1990-2000)
That eye black, baby!
Randle was one of the most-feared pass rushers of his era. In his 11 seasons with the Vikings, Randle had 114 sacks, including a league-leading 15.5 in 1997.
While there’s plenty of talk about Minnesota’s prolific offenses of the late 1990s, Randle was just as important to the Vikings.
Randle rose from undrafted status to six consecutive All-Pro seasons with the Vikings. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
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10. DE Jim Marshall (1961-1979)
Marshall’s exclusion from the Hall of Fame is one of the most egregious such cases.
He played 19 seasons on the edge for the Vikings without missing a single game. He also started in each of those 270 games, and appeared in 19 postseason contests as well.
Marshall played in all four Super Bowls for the Vikings and was a notable piece of the Purple People Eaters. Statistics from Marshall’s era are incomplete, but those who saw him play witnessed consistent excellence in addition to longevity.
Our fingers are crossed for Marshall to be feted in Canton in 2020.
9. T Ron Yary (1968-1981)
The No. 1 overall pick in 1968 lived up to expectations and a whole lot more.
From 1971-78, Yary was arguably the best right tackle in the game, making seven consecutive Pro Bowl rosters.
He started in all four of Minnesota’s Super Bowl appearances, and the Vikings made the playoffs 11 times during his 14-year career with the Vikings. That’s no coincidence.
8. WR Cris Carter (1990-2001)
All he does is … CATCH TOUCHDOWNS!
Carter finished his career with 1,101 receptions (sixth in league history) for 13,899 yards (13th) and an insane 130 touchdowns (fourth).
He led the NFL in receptions in 1994 and in touchdowns in 1995, 1997 and 1999. Carter’s sideline catch technique was as good as any, and he also played a role in mentoring Randy Moss and grooming the Marshall alum into a superstar.
7. C Mick Tingelhoff (1962-1978)
Tingelhoff was the glue that held Minnesota’s offensive line together for the better part of two decades.
He earned six consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 1964 through 1969 and was named All-Pro in five of those seasons. Like Jim Marshall, Tingelhoff’s consistency and longevity are the stuff of legend. Tingelhoff played in and started every one of the Vikings’ 240 games from 1962 through 1978.
Tingelhoff was on the Hall of Fame ballot 32 times before being inducted in 2015.
6. G Randall McDaniel (1988-1999)
McDaniel was an offensive lineman, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t an incredible athlete. He could block anyone.
When McDaniel came into the league, he had just 9% body fat. That’s uncommon for an offensive lineman, and it was especially rare in the 1990s.
McDaniel missed just two games in his career and started 188 regular-season games for the Vikings to go with 13 postseason starts.
5. RB Adrian Peterson (2007-2016)
All Day. Nobody ran harder than Adrian Peterson did in his prime. He was an absolute physical freak. Proof? A year after tearing his ACL in 2015, Peterson led the league with 1,485 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Peterson is also one of just seven players in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season. What made Peterson’s performances so special is that the Vikings needed him badly. For the majority of his time on the team, he was the offense.
Even though defenses knew what was coming, he produced. In his time with the Vikings, Peterson ran for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns, both first in team history.
4. DE Carl Eller (1964-1978)
Per the Vikings’ records, Eller has 130.5 career sacks in his career, a mark that leads the team. Unfortunately, the NFL didn’t begin counting sacks as an official stat until the 1982 season.
Eller, a mainstay of the Purple People Eaters, was part of all four Super Bowl runs for the Vikings and was part of a stretch when the Vikings won 10 of 11 NFC Central championships.
3. DE Alan Page (1967-1978)
You could flip Page and Eller in these rankings, and we wouldn’t be offended.
It was a legitimate nightmare for offensive linemen to go up against this unit. Page, like Eller, was part of all four Super Bowl appearances and is credited with 108.5 career sacks with the Vikings, although that number is unofficial.
Page was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1970 and 1971. He was named to eight Pro Bowls and received All-Pro honors six times. After his playing career, Page served as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court for more than two decades.
2. WR Randy Moss (1998-2004, 2010)
Talent-wise, there might not have been a better receiver in NFL history than Moss. He was incredibly dangerous on deep throws and has the ability to burn almost any defensive back.
Moss burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1998, hauling in a league-leading 17 touchdowns. He led the NFL in touchdown catches five times during his career, and three of those times came with the Vikings.
Moss ended his Hall of Fame career with 982 catches for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns.
While Moss also found success with the Patriots, he’ll always hold a special place in the hearts of Minnesota fans.
1. QB Fran Tarkenton (1961-1966, 1972-1979)
Tarkenton led the Vikings to three of their four Super Bowl appearances, and he owns every significant passing record in team history.
Tarkenton also owned nearly every NFL passing record at the time of his retirement — including 47,003 passing yards, with 33,098 of those coming in a Vikings uniform.
He was named to five Pro Bowls as a Viking and four more as a member of the Giants. Tarkenton turned the Vikings from an expansion team into a respectable franchise.
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