Last year, I ran through the First Round Draft History of the Minnesota Vikings. This year, it’s the second round. Over 63 drafts, the Vikings have selected 61 players in the second round. Here are those selections:

1961: Rip Hawkins, LB, North Carolina
1962: No Pick
1963: Bobby Bell, LB, Minnesota
1964: Hal Bedsole, TE, USC
1965: Archie Sutton, OT, Illinois
          Lance Rentzel, RB, Oklahoma
1966: Jim Lindsey, RB, Arkansas
1967: Bob Grim, WR, Oregon State
1968: Charlie West, DB, Texas-El Paso
1969: Ed White, G, California
1970: Bill Cappleman, QB, Florida State
1971: No Pick
1972: Ed Marinaro, RB, Cornell
1973: Jackie Wallace, DB, Arizona
1974: John Holland, WR, Tennessee State
          Matt Blair, LB, Iowa State
1975: Art Riley, DT, USC
1976: Sammy White, WR, Grambling
1977: Dennis Swilley, C, Texas A&M
1978: John Turner, CB, Miami
1979: Dave Huffman, C, Notre Dame
1980: Willie Teal, CB, LSU
1981: Mardye McDole, WR, Mississippi
          Robin Sendlein, LB, Texas
          Jarvis Redwine, RB, Nebraska
1982: Terry Tausch, OT, Texas
1983: No Pick
1984: No Pick
1985: Issiac Holt, CB Alcorn State
1986: No Pick
1987: Ray Berry, LB, Baylor
1988: Brad Edwards, S, South Carolina
1989: David Braxton, LB, Wake Forest
1990: No Pick
1991: No Pick
1992: Robert Harris, DE, Southern
1993: Qadry Ismail, WR, Syracuse
1994: David Palmer, RB/WR, Alabama
1995: Orlando Thomas, S, SW Louisiana
          Corey Fuller, CB, Florida State
1996: James Manley, DT, Vanderbilt
1997: Torian Gray, S, Virginia Tech
1998: Kailee Wong, LB, Stanford
1999: Jim Kleinsasser, TE, North Dakota
2000: Fred Robbins, DT Wake Forest
          Michael Boireau, DE, Miami
2001: Willie Howard, DT, Stanford
2002: Raonall Smith, LB, Washington State
2003: E.J. Henderson, LB, Maryland
2004: Dontarrious Thomas, LB, Auburn
2005: Marcus Johnson, G, Mississippi
2006: Cedric Griffin, CB, Texas
          Ryan Cook, C, New Mexico
          Tarvaris Jackson, QB, Alabama State
2007: Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina
2008: Tyrell Johnson, S, Arkansas State
2009: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
2010: Chris Cook, CB, Virginia
          Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
2011: Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
2012: No Pick
2013: No Pick
2014: No Pick
2015: Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
2016: Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
2017: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
2018: Brian O’Neill, T, Pittsburgh
2019: Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
2020: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
2021: No Pick
2022: Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
          Ed Ingram, G, LSU
2023: No Pick

A Breakdown:

Hall of Famers:
Bobby Bell

From 1960-65, the National Football League and upstart American Football League waged an annual recruiting war for college football players. Each league had a draft and then the race was on to get the players signed. Some unusual tactics were used. Some ran real close to kidnapping. The more established NFL usually had the edge but the AFL stole more than a few college stars. The recruiting and signing war was the reason for the NFL-AFL merger in 1966. From 1961-65, nearly all of the Vikings draft picks ended up in Minnesota. The one that got away is Bobby Bell. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Bell was the best outside linebacker of his era and one of the best outside linebackers of any era. His great career earned him a bust in Canton. I’ve spent many sleepless nights imagining Bobby Bell playing behind the great Purple People Eaters. Vikings history would be so different if Bell was part of it.

Hall of Fame adjacent is 1964 second round pick Hal Bedsole. In 1967, the Vikings traded Bedsole, Tommy Mason, and a second round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for a first round pick. The Vikings used that first round pick to select Alan Page.

The Vikings Second Round By Position:

Quarterbacks (2)
Bill Cappleman
Tarvaris Jackson

Running Backs (6)
Lance Rentzel - played receiver in the NFL
Jim Lindsey
Ed Marinaro
Jarvis Redwine
Toby Gerhart
Dalvin Cook

Receivers (7):
Bob Grim
John Holland
Sammy White
Mardye McDole
Qadry Ismail
David Palmer
Sidney Rice

Tight Ends (4):
Hal Bedsole
Jim Kleinsasser
Kyle Rudolph
Irv Smith Jr.

Offensive Linemen (11):
Archie Sutton
Ed White
Dennis Swilley
Dave Huffman
Terry Tausch
Marcus Johnson
Ryan Cook
Phil Loadholt
Brian O’Neill
Ezra Cleveland
Ed Ingram

Defensive Linemen (6):
Art Riley
Robert Harris
James Manley
Fred Robbins
Michael Boireau
Willie Howard

Linebackers (11):
Rip Hawkins
Bobby Bell
Matt Blair
Robin Sendlein
Ray Berry
David Braxton
Kailee Wong
Raonall Smith
E.J. Henderson
Dontarrious Smith
Eric Kendricks

Defensive Backs (14):
Charlie West
Jackie Wallace
John Turner
Willie Teal
Issiac Holt
Brad Edwards
Orlando Thomas
Corey Fuller
Torian Gray
Cedric Griffin
Tyrell Johnson
Chris Cook
Mackensie Alexander
Andrew Booth Jr.

Some Second Round Observations:

In 1981, the Vikings traded the 12th pick in the 1981 NFL Draft to the Baltimore COLTS for two second round picks and a fifth round pick. As a result, the Vikings had three picks in the second round. No first round pick. But three second round picks. At the time, I had mixed feelings about this trade. I could understand adding a couple more shots at picking a keeper(s). I just wasn’t sure if two seconds and a fifth equaled the 12th pick. Before the second round, I didn’t like the trade. After the second round, I liked the trade.

Mardye McDole
Robin Sendlein
Jarvis Redwine

Mardye McDole was a receiver I liked at the 12th pick. The Vikings got him with the 39th pick. I also liked what I’d seen of Robin Sendlein and Jarvis Redwine in college. McDole, Sendlein, and Redwine played a combined 10 seasons for the Vikings. McDole did little. Sendlein started a handful of games. Redwine was a decent returner for a couple years. Hindsight makes things even more painful as Mike Singletary, Howie Long, and Rickey Jackson were second round picks that year. Russ Grimm went in the third. All four ended their great careers in Canton. The Vikings had a shot at least a couple of them. Hindsight is fun.

During the 1983 season, the Vikings traded their 1984 second round pick for Archie Manning. The Chicago Bears damn near killed Manning in a game during the 1984 season. He retired after that season. History will hold Peyton and Eli as better quarterbacks but Archie was the more talented quarterback. History would be kinder to Archie Manning if he didn’t have to start his career with such a sh*t New Orleans Saints team.

The second round can be a tease. It’s close enough to the top of the draft that it’s expected to be something like a 1a. In reality, it’s more of a crap shoot than the first round and the first round is already a crap shoot. One of the best examples of the second round being a tease is 2002 second round pick Raonall Smith. I saw him several times while he played at Washington State. He was a terrific football player, a first round talent, and a steal in the second round. Unfortunately, the touch of a feather could put him on IR.

Matt Blair is the only second round pick in the Vikings Ring of Honor. Ed White should join him. Jim Kleinsasser and Kyle Rudolph as well.

Speaking of Matt Blair, several of my favorite Vikings players over the years have been selected in the second round.

Ed White (I’ll always favor Cal players)
Matt Blair
Sammy White
Orlando Thomas
Jim Kleinsasser
E.J. Henderson
Sidney Rice
Kyle Rudolph
Eric Kendricks
Dalvin Cook
Brian O’Neill

The Vikings second round history is a mixed bag. As soon as I start thinking why bother and trade that second for a third and a fifth, the Vikings pull in a Matt Blair or a Jim Kleinsasser. Rip Hawkins was the first second round pick in franchise history. He became an immediate defensive cornerstone at middle linebacker from 1961-65. He paved the way for Lonnie Warwick, Jeff Siemon, Scott Studwell, E.J. Henderson, and Eric Kendricks. Hawkins started a strong Vikings tradition of middle linebackers. I like many of the Vikings second round picks. I really like a few of them. If the Vikings had managed to pull Bobby Bell from the Chiefs, the Vikings second round history, and franchise history, would be a whole lot different.