Minnesota Vikings Career Receptions Leaders

Still waiting for the Minnesota Vikings to sign their 15 draft picks. Still thinking about the statistical leaders in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. It's been an unusual sort of offseason. I'm taking this time to brush up on some Vikings statistical history. The Vikings have a strong receiver tradition. That tradition is topped by two of the best receivers to ever play the game. Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Ahmad Rashad might've joined Carter and Moss in the Pro Football Hall of Fame if he'd played his entire career in Minnesota. Anthony Carter had the talent to get to Canton but was limited by a serious lack of quarterback continuity. The strong receiver tradition in Minnesota can be seen in the franchise's career receptions leaders.

Minnesota Vikings Career Receptions Leaders

Rank	Player	Receptions
1	Cris Carter	1004
2	Randy Moss	587
3	Steve Jordan	498
4	Anthony Carter	478
5	Kyle Rudolph	425
6	Jake Reed	413
7	Ahmad Rashad	400
8	Sammy White	393
9	Stefon Diggs	365
10	Ted Brown	339
11	Chuck Foreman	336
12	Adam Thielen	323
13	Rickey Young	292
14	Bill Brown	284
15	Percy Harvin	280
16	Darrin Nelson	251
17	Adrian Peterson	241
18	Hassan Jones	222
19	Visanthe Shiancoe	208
20	Paul Flatley	202
21	Jim Kleinsasser	192

One of the more surprising aspects of this is list is that Adrian Peterson caught more passes than Hassan Jones. Imagine that.

If not for Kellen Winslow and Ozzie Newsome keeping him from All-Pro teams, Steve Jordan would probably get some Hall of Fame buzz.

I was a little surprised to see Ted Brown with a three reception lead over Chuck Foreman. I would've guessed that Foreman had a couple dozen receptions lead over Brown.

Speaking of the running backs. There are six running backs on this list.

Ted Brown
Chuck Foreman
Rickey Young
Bill Brown
Darrin Nelson
Adrian Peterson

It's the offense of Jerry Burns that put so many running backs on this list. Peterson is the only back that didn't play for Burns. The Vikings offenses through the 1970s and 1980s thrived on receptions out of the backfield. That reliance on pass-catching running backs probably played a significant role in the decision to select Darrin Nelson over Marcus Allen in the 1982 NFL Draft.

Many Vikings fans scream that Burns ran the "West Coast Offense" before Bill Walsh created it. Throwing often to the running back is simply an aspect of the "West Coast Offense."

I always found it funny when talking heads honked that Peterson wasn't a factor in the passing game. He was a factor. Just because he didn't catch the ball as spectacularly as he ran with it doesn't mean that he couldn't do it. His 2009 season with Brett Favre, of course, was the best example of what he could do in the passing game. He had 43 catches and averaged 10.1 yards/catch. One of his highlights that season was the crossing route against the Pittsburgh Steelers during which he stole the soul of William Gay. Peterson was a factor in the passing game whenever he was asked to be one.

Enough about the running backs. This is about the receivers.

Cris Carter
Randy Moss
Anthony Carter
Jake Reed
Ahmad Rashad
Sammy White
Stefon Diggs
Adam Thielen
Percy Harvin
Hassan Jones
Paul Flatley

That's a damn fine receiver tradition.

It's due to his playing in the Vikings' early day but Paul Flatley deserves to be better remembered. He started the strong receiver tradition in Minnesota.