100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 40-31

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 40-31. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 40-31

  40. Tommy Kramer, QB

  39. Chad Greenway, LB

  38. Jeff Siemon, LB

  37. Dalvin Cook, RB

  36. Daunte Culpepper, QB

  35. Everson Griffen, DE

  34. Ed White, OG

  33. Scott Studwell, LB

  32. Anthony Carter, WR

  31. Jim Kleinsasser, TE

If only Tommy Kramer had better luck with injuries. It seemed that whenever he was hitting his stride he was sidelined with an injury. “Two-Minute Tommy” was a fun quarterback. He had the passing talent to be a great quarterback.

Jeff Siemon was probably the only Viking that played well in Super Bowl XI. It felt like he made every tackle and there were a lot of tackles to make. He was a terrific linebacker throughout the 1970s. 

Injuries is the only thing that will keep Dalvin Cook from climbing further up this list. 

Injuries kept Tommy Kramer from being the franchise quarterback that he was drafted to be. Daunte Culpepper was well on his way to being the Vikings first franchise quarterback since Fran Tarkenton. A knee injury ended that progression. His 2004 season was ridiculous. 

Ed White and Ron Yary formed the best right-side in Vikings history. White deserved more than four Pro Bowls and he deserved All-Pro status. He played to those levels for most of his 17-year career. If he’d received the season honors that he deserved, he’d receive the Hall of Fame consideration that he deserves. 

Scott Studwell played and worked for the Vikings for so long that it feels like he was on the original 1961 team. 

Anthony Carter flashed across the Vikings football landscape. It can be surprising that he played nine seasons in Minnesota. Carter’s best season was the strike-shortened 1987 season when he averaged a ridiculous 24.3 yards per catch. His performance against the 49ers in the 1987 playoffs was one of the greatest in Vikings franchise history. The 49ers run of Super Bowl titles was supposed to start that season and Carter took their defense apart. 10 catches, 227 yards, and a run of 30 yards. He was a brilliant, fun receiver. 

Some might see #31 as a little high for Jim Kleinsasser. Few players in Vikings franchise history played their position as well as Kleinsasser played his. In that case, #31 is low. His position was blocking tight end. He played the position like an offensive lineman. A very good offensive lineman. He did all of the things that made it possible for players like Daunte Culpepper, Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, and Percy Harvin to do what they did. Prior to the 1999 NFL Draft, I read a draft profile of Kleinsasser that noted, “If he gets his hands on you, it’s over.” That’s the sort of thing that’s said of an offensive lineman. Kleinsasser blocked like an offensive lineman.