With the NFL Draft right around the corner and our Kyle Ratke ranked the Vikings’ three best third-round picks since 2000.
3. DE, Ray Edwards, 2006
Coming out of Purdue, it didn’t take long for Edwards to become a big part of the team’s defense. By his second season, he was the team’s full-time starter. From 2007-2010, Edwards had five or more sacks in each season. He only played five seasons for Minnesota, but started 58 games during that stretch and had 29.5 sacks.
He played the last two years of his career in Atlanta before pursuing a boxing career.
2. DE, Brian Robison, 2007
Another defensive end. Robison was taken a season after Edwards out of Texas. It look Robison a little longer to find his place as a starter (Robison wasn’t a full-time starter until his fifth season), but he took advantage of it. From 2011-2013, Robison averaged 8.5 sacks per season and ended his Vikings’ career with 60 career sacks, a mark that ranks tied for fifth in team history.
1. DE, Everson Griffen, 2010
That’s right! Yet another defensive end!
Like Robison, it took Griffen a bit to get going, but once he did, the NFL took notice real quick.
The former USC Trojan became a full-time starter in 2014, but by that time, he already had 17.5 career sacks. He would hit double digits in sacks in three of the next four seasons, including 13 in 2017. During Griffen’s time with the Vikings, he made four Pro Bowls and became a fan favorite in Minnesota.
Griffen has 74.5 career sacks, a make that ranks fourth in team history.
Unfortunately, Griffen announced this offseason that he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2020.
