The Minnesota Vikings have participated in 64 NFL Drafts over their franchise history with plenty of successes and busts over the years. Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame listed each franchise’s biggest bust and gave the Vikings an interesting name in running back D.J. Dozier.
There were some other contenders, but Dozier made it because he set off a chain of events. The Vikings wanted a star back to pair with their solid passing attack and great defense. However, Dozier never became that guy, rushing for 643 yards in four years with the Vikings. As a result, they traded a bushel of draft picks to the Cowboys in 1989 for Herschel Walker, turning Dallas into a dynasty while Minnesota floundered.
NFL analyst names D.J. Dozier Vikings’ biggest draft bust
Verderame naming Dozier feels weird on the surface when you look at the entire picture, there is some credence to it. In essence, the failure of Dozier was the first domino in trading the biggest haul in NFL history for Herschel Walker. Sure, it ended up being the start of that unfortunate trade, but Dozier at least played games for the Vikings.
This is where things get interesting. With Dozier having actually played snaps for the Vikings, it makes things a little bit more murky. In the 1999 NFL Draft, the Vikings had two first-round picks. They acquired the 11th overall pick from the Washington Commanders along with second and third-round picks for quarterback Brad Johnson and had the 29th overall pick as their own. They got quarterback Daunte Culpepper at 11th overall, but their 29th selection didn’t make it through more than one training camp practice.
Despite multiple warning signs, the Vikings selected edge rusher Dimetrius Underwood out of Michigan State. He left the organization after just one practice, claiming his Christian faith was a conflict with him playing football for the Vikings.
The other one that some would consider is quarterback Christian Ponder, who the Vikings selected 12th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he was a colossal failure and was permanently benched in his third season, and Teddy Bridgewater was drafted the next year in the first round.
No matter how you paint it, the Vikings haven’t had a clean history in the NFL Draft.
