The Minnesota Vikings have done a great job drafting in the first round over the past few years. Everyone will want to point to 2022 when the Vikings traded down from 12th to 32nd overall and selected Lewis Cine. Yes, that pick hasn't worked out, but their recent drafts have had a major impact on the team.
The Vikings have had a lot success in the first round in the last 10+ years, especially when you look at their picks in the 20s. They have done their most damage there and have done so consistently. Players like Randy Moss and Percy Harvin were taken in the 20s as were Xavier Rhodes and Sharrif Floyd.
Pro Football Focus put together an all-decade mock draft from the last 10 years and the Vikings had two representatives: wide receiver Justin Jefferson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
This one isn’t too complicated. Justin Jefferson is one of the best football players in the league and just signed a contract that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. He has recorded four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, paired with four straight elite receiving grades.
Darrisaw didn’t have as efficient of a season in 2023 as he did in 2022, seeing his overall grade drop from 91.2 to 85.1, but that is still an excellent mark. He remains one of the best young offensive tackles in the league, and there really wasn’t anyone else to consider here.
Jefferson is a no-brainer. He is the best non-quarterback in the National Football League and would likely go first overall in a re-draft of 2020.
Darrisaw is one of two players who the Vikings have taken at 23rd overall in the last decade with wide receiver Jordan Addison being taken in 2023. In a few years, this could be a real debate. However, with just one year under Addison's belt, Darrisaw is the obvious choice.
In the list, only the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens have more players on the list with three.
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