Minnesota Vikings All - Time 53-Man Roster
With the Minnesota Vikings getting down to this year’s 53-man roster, I was thinking about an all-time Vikings 53-man roster.
Minnesota Vikings All-Time 53-Man Roster
Offense
Quarterbacks
Fran Tarkenton
Daunte Culpepper
Kirk Cousins
I feel like Tommy Kramer should be on this roster but I have to go with Kirk Cousins. If for no other reason, he’s always on the field. Kramer wasn’t.
Halfbacks
Adrian Peterson
Chuck Foreman
Robert Smith
Dalvin Cook was challenging Robert Smith for that final roster spot.
Fullback
Bill Brown
Bill Brown’s career was winding down when I fell for the Vikings. He might be the player that I most wish I’d seen in his prime.
Receivers
Cris Carter
Randy Moss
Justin Jefferson
Ahmad Rashad
Anthony Carter
Adam Thielen
I can’t think of a team with a better receiver tradition. Paul Flatley, Gene Washington, John Gilliam, Sammy White, Jake Reed, Stefon Diggs further add to the Vikings great receiver tradition.
Tight Ends
Steve Jordan
Kyle Rudolph
Jim Kleinsasser
All three were favorites of mine during the time that they played. Maybe (hopefully) in five years or so, T.J. Hockenson challenges for a spot on this roster. He was certainly paid to do so.
Tackles
Ron Yary
Gary Zimmerman
Grady Alderman
This is pretty straightforward. If Christian Darrisaw continues to progress, he should bump Grady Alderman.
Guards
Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson
Ed White
This is as straightforward as the tackles.
Centers
Mick Tingelhoff
Matt Birk
It was not difficult to fill the offensive line spots on this roster.
Defense
Defensive Ends
Carl Eller
Chris Doleman
Jim Marshall
Jared Allen
Danielle Hunter
HOF, HOF, should be HOF, will be HOF, could be HOF. The Vikings have a great receiver tradition. The defensive end tradition is nearly as great.
Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
John Randle
Keith Millard
Kevin Williams
HOF, HOF, would’ve been HOF if injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, will be HOF. The defensive tackle tradition in Minnesota is nearly as great as the defensive end tradition.
Linebackers
Matt Blair
Eric Kendricks
Anthony Barr
Chad Greenway
Scott Studwell
Jeff Siemon
Most of the position groups on this roster are pretty easy to put together. Linebacker isn’t. The Vikings have had several good linebackers. I wouldn’t say that they have had any great linebackers. Matt Blair is arguably the best linebacker to have played for the Vikings. Many might have Scott Studwell starting in the middle. I’m partial to Eric Kendricks. Jeff Siemon had a more decorated middle linebacker career than both. It’s tough to leave off any of the team’s first “very good” linebacker trio of Wally Hilgenberg, Lonnie Warwick, and Roy Winston. Ed McDaniel, Ben Leber, Fred McNeil, E. J. Henderson. The Vikings have had a lot of good linebackers. They just haven’t had the great players like those that played on the line in front of them. Mike Merriweather might’ve been the most talented linebacker to play for the Vikings but his career was winding down when he was in Minnesota.
Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes
Carl Lee
Bobby Bryant
Nate Wright
Antoine Winfield was a great football player. He’ll forever rank as one of my favorites. Xavier Rhodes was great for a few years. I just wish that it was for more than just a few years. Carl Lee was sneaky good for several years. Bobby Bryant and Nate Wright were the corners of my youth. Bryant always seemed to make big plays in big moments. Wright will always be known for being shoved to the ground by Drew Pearson. He was a much better player than that one notorious moment.
Safeties
Paul Krause
Harrison Smith
Joey Browner
Robert Griffith
HOF, could be HOF, should be HOF, very good. I’d like to have Karl Kassulke on this roster but I went with Robert Griffith. Orlando Thomas was on his way to a great career but injuries sadly derailed his career.
Special Teams
Kicker
Ryan Longwell
Except for a couple years from Blair Walsh, I’ve been terrified of the Vikings place kicks since the Ryan Longwell years.
Punter
Chris Kluwe
It’s only been a single year but Ryan Wright is hopefully on his way to taking this roster spot. Bobby Walden was really good for a few years in the 1960s. Greg Coleman was good for a long time in the 1970s and 1980s. For this roster, it came down to Mitch Berger vs Chris Kluwe. I went with Kluwe.
Long Snapper
Cullen Loeffler
Cullen Loeffler vs Andrew DePaola? I went with Loeffler. Mike Morris was a consideration. So was Mick Tingelhoff but he’s already the team’s center. He doesn’t have to do special teams as well in this era.
Kick Returner
Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson is arguably the greatest kick returner in league history. It all started in Minnesota. Throw in a few years from Percy Harvin and the Vikings were dynamite on kick returns for nearly a decade.
Punt Returner
Marcus Sherels
Marcus Sherels was on the roster bubble every training camp of his career. He always made the team because he was simply one of the best punt returners in the league.
Minnesota Vikings All-Time 53-Man Roster
Offense
Quarterbacks
Fran Tarkenton
Daunte Culpepper
Kirk Cousins
I feel like Tommy Kramer should be on this roster but I have to go with Kirk Cousins. If for no other reason, he’s always on the field. Kramer wasn’t.
Halfbacks
Adrian Peterson
Chuck Foreman
Robert Smith
Dalvin Cook was challenging Robert Smith for that final roster spot.
Fullback
Bill Brown
Bill Brown’s career was winding down when I fell for the Vikings. He might be the player that I most wish I’d seen in his prime.
Receivers
Cris Carter
Randy Moss
Justin Jefferson
Ahmad Rashad
Anthony Carter
Adam Thielen
I can’t think of a team with a better receiver tradition. Paul Flatley, Gene Washington, John Gilliam, Sammy White, Jake Reed, Stefon Diggs further add to the Vikings great receiver tradition.
Tight Ends
Steve Jordan
Kyle Rudolph
Jim Kleinsasser
All three were favorites of mine during the time that they played. Maybe (hopefully) in five years or so, T.J. Hockenson challenges for a spot on this roster. He was certainly paid to do so.
Tackles
Ron Yary
Gary Zimmerman
Grady Alderman
This is pretty straightforward. If Christian Darrisaw continues to progress, he should bump Grady Alderman.
Guards
Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson
Ed White
This is as straightforward as the tackles.
Centers
Mick Tingelhoff
Matt Birk
It was not difficult to fill the offensive line spots on this roster.
Defense
Defensive Ends
Carl Eller
Chris Doleman
Jim Marshall
Jared Allen
Danielle Hunter
HOF, HOF, should be HOF, will be HOF, could be HOF. The Vikings have a great receiver tradition. The defensive end tradition is nearly as great.
Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
John Randle
Keith Millard
Kevin Williams
HOF, HOF, would’ve been HOF if injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, will be HOF. The defensive tackle tradition in Minnesota is nearly as great as the defensive end tradition.
Linebackers
Matt Blair
Eric Kendricks
Anthony Barr
Chad Greenway
Scott Studwell
Jeff Siemon
Most of the position groups on this roster are pretty easy to put together. Linebacker isn’t. The Vikings have had several good linebackers. I wouldn’t say that they have had any great linebackers. Matt Blair is arguably the best linebacker to have played for the Vikings. Many might have Scott Studwell starting in the middle. I’m partial to Eric Kendricks. Jeff Siemon had a more decorated middle linebacker career than both. It’s tough to leave off any of the team’s first “very good” linebacker trio of Wally Hilgenberg, Lonnie Warwick, and Roy Winston. Ed McDaniel, Ben Leber, Fred McNeil, E. J. Henderson. The Vikings have had a lot of good linebackers. They just haven’t had the great players like those that played on the line in front of them. Mike Merriweather might’ve been the most talented linebacker to play for the Vikings but his career was winding down when he was in Minnesota.
Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes
Carl Lee
Bobby Bryant
Nate Wright
Antoine Winfield was a great football player. He’ll forever rank as one of my favorites. Xavier Rhodes was great for a few years. I just wish that it was for more than just a few years. Carl Lee was sneaky good for several years. Bobby Bryant and Nate Wright were the corners of my youth. Bryant always seemed to make big plays in big moments. Wright will always be known for being shoved to the ground by Drew Pearson. He was a much better player than that one notorious moment.
Safeties
Paul Krause
Harrison Smith
Joey Browner
Robert Griffith
HOF, could be HOF, should be HOF, very good. I’d like to have Karl Kassulke on this roster but I went with Robert Griffith. Orlando Thomas was on his way to a great career but injuries sadly derailed his career.
Special Teams
Kicker
Ryan Longwell
Except for a couple years from Blair Walsh, I’ve been terrified of the Vikings place kicks since the Ryan Longwell years.
Punter
Chris Kluwe
It’s only been a single year but Ryan Wright is hopefully on his way to taking this roster spot. Bobby Walden was really good for a few years in the 1960s. Greg Coleman was good for a long time in the 1970s and 1980s. For this roster, it came down to Mitch Berger vs Chris Kluwe. I went with Kluwe.
Long Snapper
Cullen Loeffler
Cullen Loeffler vs Andrew DePaola? I went with Loeffler. Mike Morris was a consideration. So was Mick Tingelhoff but he’s already the team’s center. He doesn’t have to do special teams as well in this era.
Kick Returner
Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson is arguably the greatest kick returner in league history. It all started in Minnesota. Throw in a few years from Percy Harvin and the Vikings were dynamite on kick returns for nearly a decade.
Punt Returner
Marcus Sherels
Marcus Sherels was on the roster bubble every training camp of his career. He always made the team because he was simply one of the best punt returners in the league.
... and neither is this Chris guy.