The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 30-21.
100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 30-21
30. Robert Smith, RB
29. Ahmad Rashad, WR
28. Kyle Rudolph, TE
27. Eric Kendricks, LB
26. Justin Jefferson, WR
25. Steve Jordan, TE
24. Keith Millard, DT
23. Matt Blair, LB
22. Danielle Hunter, DE
21. Antoine Winfield, CB
Ahmad Rashad, Steve Jordan, and Matt Blair are in the Vikings Ring of Honor. Robert Smith, Keith Millard and Antoine Winfield should be. Kyle Rudolph, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter will be. This block of ten includes the first of the “elite” players in Vikings franchise history.
Injuries and nagging health issues (he missed at least one game due to chicken pox!) slowed the start of Robert Smith’s career. Once he got going, he was great. He possessed ridiculous speed. Every time he got past the line I thought that he was gone. He was outstanding on screens. The Vikings schemed and executed screens well during his era but it was Smith’s speed that made them work. His sudden retirement after the 2000 season was jolting.
I’ve always felt that Ahmad Rashad would be in Canton if he’d come to Minnesota a few years earlier. His years with the Vikings were Hall of Fame caliber.
Kyle Rudolph felt like a franchise cornerstone and team leader from the moment he was drafted in 2011. I never thought that his talents were consistently utilized to their fullest. He had a career high of 83 catches in 2016. His next highest catch total was 64 in 2018. Every year should’ve been somewhere between those numbers. Instead, he only averaged about 45 catches a year. Rudolph made the most of his limited opportunities as he was often among the tight end leaders in touchdowns.
Eric Kendricks finally broke through the Luke Kuechly-Bobby Wagner All-Pro blockade a few years ago. He’s been playing at an All-Pro level pretty much from the moment he started as a rookie in 2015. He could play the run and the pass like few linebackers I’ve ever seen.
Justin Jefferson. Incredibly, he’s only three years into his career and #26 feels low. He’s moving up this list at a ridiculous rate.
Rudolph and Steve Jordan are the best tight ends in Vikings franchise history. They are 1-2 in all tight end categories. Jordan is the franchise leader in catches and yards. Rudolph is the leader in touchdowns. Jordan went to six Pro Bowls during an era in which tight ends truly started to emerge as impact players and offensive weapons.
For a handful of years, Keith Millard played the defensive tackle position as well as any player I’ve seen. He simply wrecked offenses. If injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, he’d be in Canton.
Matt Blair played his first five seasons during the final seasons of the Purple People Eaters. He was the only defensive star remaining after the greats departed. He continued to play at a high level into the 1980s. It felt like Blair and Rashad were the Vikings only Pro Bowl players for about a decade. In reality, it was only a few seasons in which they were the team’s lone representatives in Hawaii.
If Danielle Hunter can stay on the field and play as he did through his first five seasons, he could move higher than #22. The Vikings have an outstanding defensive line legacy and Hunter was fast approaching the greats. He was productive and healthy last season. Hopefully, that continues.
Antoine Winfield was listed as a cornerback. He was so much more. He was an outside corner. He was an inside corner. He was a linebacker. He was a pass rusher. He was at his best near the line of scrimmage, near the action. Saying that seems to take away from his talents in coverage. Winfield was simply an outstanding football player. All of the football and media honks seemed to agree but he didn’t make his first Pro Bowl until his 10th season. That unlocked another two. He should’ve had many more than three Pro Bowls as well as a few All-Pros. Tape of Winfield’s tackling should be mandatory viewing for all football players from Pop Warner to the NFL.
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