To 5 Minnesota Vikings Returners

The ranking of the best Minnesota Vikings players at each position concludes with the returners. I’ve combined kick and punt returners in this ranking.

1. Cordarrelle Patterson

2. Percy Harvin

3. Marcus Sherels

4. David Palmer

5. Kene Nwangwu

I feel that the Vikings have had a strong return history. There’s some recency bias in that feeling. Four of the above five returners played for the Vikings since 2009. 

Cordarrelle Patterson is in the argument for best kick returner in NFL history. His best four years and first four years were in Minnesota. He was first-team All-Pro four times. Two of those were with the Vikings. He returned nine kicks for touchdowns. Five of those with the Vikings. Percy Harvin also had five kick return touchdowns for the Vikings. Harvin was the Vikings first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and was an immediate hit as a returner and receiver. Cordarrelle Patterson was selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft to replace Harvin. Patterson was also an immediate hit. From 2009-16, the Vikings had the best kick returner in the league. For eight years, every Vikings kick return was a legitimate threat to score. During that same time, Marcus Sherels held the same threat as a punt returner. It took a bit longer but Sherels matched the five kick return touchdowns of Harvin and Patterson with five punt return touchdowns. Harvin, Patterson, and Sherels were an awesome trio of returners. I was thrilled when the Vikings selected David Palmer in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He was such a versatile football player at Alabama. He didn’t really reach my expectations on offense but Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Randy Moss were in that Vikings receiver room. It was tough for any other receiver to gain any traction. Palmer did reach my expectations as a returner. He returned two punts and one kick touchdowns. He’s the only returner in Vikings history to return a punt and a kick for touchdowns. Palmer was a fun football player. For three years, Kene Nwangwu made Vikings kick returns dangerous again. During his rookie 2021 season, he returned two kicks for touchdowns and posted a ridiculous average of 32.2 yards/return. He returned a third kick for a touchdown in his second season. Injuries took a chunk out of his third and final season with the Vikings.

The eight years of Percy Harvin, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marcus Sherels have to rank as some of the best and most exciting returning in league history. The three combined for 15 touchdowns. Returns were so much fun during those years. 

 

Top 5 Minnesota Vikings Punters

The ranking of the best Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the punters. If I ranked the kickers, I had to rank the punters. 

1. Chris Kluwe

2. Greg Coleman

3. Ryan Wright

4. Mitch Berger

5. Bobby Walden

The above five could probably be rolled out in any order. Harry Newsome, Jeff Locke, and Britton Colquitt could also be in the mix. Chris Kluwe tops this list mostly for his consistency over eight years. I don’t remember any down years. Greg Coleman was the most fun punter in Vikings franchise history. In my memories of his 10-year career in Minnesota, he ran with the ball, rather than punted, far more times than he actually did. In reality, he ran for only four first downs. I remember more than a dozen. Ryan Wright could’ve become the best punter in Vikings franchise history. Instead, he departed this offseason for the New Orleans Saints. Over his four years in Minnesota, he has the highest yards/punt and best rate of punts inside the 20-yard line. Those are two of the best metrics for a punter. The only knock on Wright’s Vikings career is his underwhelming second season. It was that season that seemed to make him a bubble player in each of his three training camps as the incumbent. Mitch Berger was simply a solid and consistent punter for all of his six seasons in Minnesota. The Vikings have only had one punter lead the league in yards/punt. That punter was Bobby Walden. He paced the league’s punters as a rookie in 1964. As a kid, I remember Walden as the steady punter of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was actually a bit of a shock to discover that his first four seasons were with the Vikings. How did he get away in an era when player movement was quite restricted? 

The Vikings have a solid punter history. A reason that it isn’t a great one is that the team was often looking for their next punter. Only Greg Coleman, Chris Kluwe, and Mitch Berger punted for at least five years for the Vikings. Those three are franchise outliers. Here’s a look at the team’s most tenured punters.

Greg Coleman: 10 years

Chris Kluwe: 8 years

Mitch Berger: 6 years

Ryan Wright: 4 years

Bobby Walden: 4 years

Harry Newsome: 4 years

Jeff Locke: 4 years

Neil Clabo: 3 years

Mike Eishceid: 3 years 

Bucky Scribner: 3 years

Those punters punted for 46 of the Vikings 65 years. Over the other 19 years, it was a merry-go-round of punters. 

Top 5 Minnesota Vikings Kickers

The ranking of the best Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the kickers. Yes. The kickers. 

1. Will Reichard

It shouldn’t be this easy to rank so high. Will Reichard was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. An injury cut his rookie season to 13 games. His second season may have been the greatest display of kicking I’ve ever seen. In only two seasons, Will Reichard has become more myth than real. In only two seasons, he’s risen to be the best kicker in Vikings history. He is that good at kicking a football. 

2. Fred Cox

I discovered the Vikings with Fred Cox as the kicker. Despite becoming the kicker in the Vikings third season, it just felt like he’d always been the team’s kicker. He’s the team’s all-time scoring leader and second isn’t remotely close. Cris Carter’s 670 points is less than half of Cox’s 1365 points. 

Fred Cox also invented the Nerf football. That alone is almost enough to bump him ahead of Will Reichard. Reichard is just too good,

3. Ryan Longwell

As a Cal alum, it was a revelation to see Ryan Longwell depart Green Bay for Minnesota. Until Will Reichard, Longwell was the most reliable kicker of my Vikings life. He was a great kicker in Green Bay. That’s why he was there for nine years. He was even better in Minnesota. The cozy comfort of a domed stadium certainly helped. If Longwell was kicking for the Vikings in 1998, they would’ve been playing in Super Bowl XXXIII. If he had a chance to kick in 2009, the Vikings would’ve been playing in Super Bowl  XLIV. 

4. Blair Walsh

There was a time when Blair Walsh was for the Vikings what Will Reichard is now. Walsh’s rookie season is one of the best rookie seasons in the kicking history of the NFL. He was outstanding as a rookie. He was great in his second and third seasons. Then he missed that short kick in the frozen outdoors against the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs. After that, he had the yips. He was never the same kicking beast he was as a rookie. 

5. Gary Anderson

Gary Anderson kicked in the NFL for 23 years. From 1998-2002, he kicked for the Vikings. In 1998, he was perfect, 35 field goal attempts. 35 field goals made. 59 extra points attempts 59 extra points made. Anderson didn’t miss a kick until the NFC Championship. His miss in that game is one of the most painful moments in Vikings franchise history. 

In Gary Anderson, Ryan Longwell, and Blair Walsh, Vikings fans have seen the gamut of a kickers impact. All three were among the best in the league during their Minnesota days. Anderson missed a kick he always makes. Longwel never got a shot at potentially the biggest kick in team history. Walsh missed that easy kick in very cold weather. Here’s hoping that Will Reichard gets all of those big kick opportunities. And more. Will “the Thrill” will not miss. 

Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Safeties

The ranking of the Top Ten Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the safeties. 

At the very top, it’s a strong group. Paul Krause has a bust in Canton. Harrison Smith is still building on a career that should get him there. If injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, Joey Browner would be there.

Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Safeties

1.   Paul Krause 

2.   Harrison Smith

3.   Joey Browner

Paul Krause’s 81 interceptions is one of the league’s unbreakable records. Playing the safety position as a roving centerfield, he did Ed Reed-like things decades before Ed Reed did them. As a kid, I thought that every football that left the opposing quarterback’s hand was destined to end up in the hands of Paul Krause. Harrison Smith is the most versatile safety I’ve ever seen. In the box, deep, pressuring the quarterback, defending the run. He does it all. He did it at an All-Pro level for years. I’m still expecting a return for his15th season. Unfortunately, Smith is incredibly underrated. He should’ve been named to the 2010s All-Decade team. He should have a serious Hall of Fame discussion five years after he retires. His play earned at least that. At his best, Joey Browner was every bit the player of Hall of Fame safety peers Ronnie Lott and Ken Easley. From 1987-90, he was 1st-team All-Pro three times and 2nd-team All-Pro once. Being considered among the best at his position for multiple years is usually enough for serious Hall of Fame consideration. Browner has yet to receive it. 

4.   Karl Kassulke

For the five years they played together, Karl Kassulke was the hard-hitting enforcer to Paul Krause’s roving center fielder. They were a terrific strong and free safety pair. Kassulke’s career ended when he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident while on his way to training camp.

5.   Robert Griffith 

6.   Orlando Thomas 

Robert Griffith and Orlando Thomas were another very good safety pair. Griffith was very good for longer. Once he broke into the starting lineup in 1996 he became a defensive staple until 2001. With a league-leading nine interceptions as a rookie, Thomas made an immediate impact on the Vikings defense. Unfortunately, injuries were a career-long constant. Over his seven years in Minnesota, he played in all 16 games twice. When he was on the field, he was excellent. 

7.   Joshua Metellus

Calling Joshua Metellus a safety is far too limiting. He’s so much more than that and he’s flourished in Brian Flores’ versatile defense. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Metellus was never supposed to be anything more than a valuable special teams player. Then along came Flores and a defense with a ridiculously varied role for Metellus. Three years later and the modestly talented football player is a franchise cornerstone. He’s about a seasons away from a spot in the Top 4 of this list. 

8.   Camryn Bynum

9.   Corey Chavous 

10. Anthony Harris 

In his too short four years in Minnesota, Camryn Bynum played his way onto this list. Then he left in free agency. It was a damn shame. He received a lot of attention for his outrageous celebrations but he was a terrific player for the Vikings. The Vikings signed Corey Chavous as a cornerback. It wasn’t until he was moved to safety that he really started making an impact. He was probably the team’s best player in 2003. It often felt like he made every tackle. As an undrafted free agent, it took Anthony Harris a few years to get some traction in the league. Once he broke into the starting lineup, he started a strong, three-year run as Harrison Smith’s partner at the back of the Vikings defense.

Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Cornerbacks

The ranking of the Top Ten Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the cornerbacks. 

Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Cornerbacks

One of the oddities of the Vikings draft history is that a cornerback wasn’t drafted in the first round until Dewayne Washington was selected with the 18th pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. The second first-round corner was Xavier Rhodes in 2013. Adding high-end cornerbacks in the draft wasn’t a focus until Mike Zimmer was named head coach in 2014. From 2014-21, the Vikings selected three cornerbacks in the first round. Washington and Rhodes made this list. None of the three more recent first-round corners did. Through the varying draft strategies, the Vikings have a modest cornerback tradition. 

1. Antoine Winfield 

The free agency signing of Antoine Winfield in 2004 is one of the best in Vikings franchise history. From 2004-12, he was brilliant. It’s ridiculous that he received no postseason honors until 2008. He made the Pro Bowl from 2008-10. He should’ve made the first of a slew of Pro Bowls even before he joined the Vikings. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 1999 NFL Draft and was brilliant as soon as he became a full-time starter in 2000. In his nine years with the Vikings, Winfield had over 90 tackles five times. That’s a big number for any corner. It’s an especially big number for a 5’9” 180lb corner. It was amazing to watch Winfield’s refined tackling in a league with so much sloppy tackling. Too many defensive backs are looking for the big hit. Winfield just wanted to wrap up and get the runner on the ground. It was wonderful to see. He should’ve been an annual All-Pro simply for his tackling. Winfield was an excellent outside corner. He was even better on the inside. With only three Pro Bowls and one 2nd-team All-Pro, Winfield will probably never get the Hall of Fame discussion he deserves. In my opinion, during an era with Ty Law, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Ronde Barber, and Darelle Revis, Antoine Winfield was one of the best corners in the league. He’s an easy choice for the best corner in Vikings franchise history.

2. Bobby Bryant

When one looks at the great Vikings defenses of the Super Bowl years, it’s easy to focus on the defensive line. From there, it’s a solid group of linebackers and Paul Krause and his crazy number of interceptions. It’s so easy to overlook skinny, 6’1” corner Bobby Bryant. It felt like opposing offenses routinely overlooked him as all he did was put together a 13-year career filled with big plays. His 51 career interceptions are second to Krause’s 53 in Vikings franchise history. Many of Bryant’s big plays came in the biggest games. In terms of pure cornerbacking talent, Xavier Rhodes and Carl Lee are arguably the best in Vikings franchise history. 

3. Xavier Rhodes 

4. Carl Lee

In terms of pure cornerbacking talent, Xavier Rhodes and Carl Lee are arguably the best in Vikings franchise history. From 2015-17, Rhodes was the best corner in the league. If he’d maintained that level of play for another couple of seasons, he’d challenge Antoine Winfield for #1 on this list and (more importantly) have a strong Hall of Fame argument. He was terrific as he repeatedly shut down the best receivers in the league. His somewhat rapid fade was sad and shocking to watch. Like Rhodes, Lee had about a three-year stretch during which he was one of the best cover corners in the league. It’s tough to separate the two. Lee was probably better for longer while Rhodes’ best years were better. 

5. Nate Wright 

6. Ed Sharockman 

For most of the 1970s, Nate Wright was Bobby Bryant’s cornerback partner. Wright’s most memorable moment was probably his most forgettable moment. He was the defender that Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson shoved to the ground in the 1975 divisional playoffs. The non-flagged OPI cost one of the Vikings most talented teams another shot at the Super Bowl. Wright was much more than that one play. Despite receiving no post-season accolades, he was one of the league’s best cover corners for most of the 1970s. Ed Sharockman is at #6 on this list mostly for his 40 career interceptions. He was the Vikings top corner from the frustrating expansion years to the early years of dominance in the late 1960s. 

7. Dewayne Washington 

8. Najee Mustafaa 

9. Audray McMillian 

10. Byron Murphy Jr. 

As the Vikings first first-round corner, Dewayne Washington was an immediate starter as a rookie. He was a solid player for all of his four years with the Vikings. I thought that he was going to be a franchise cornerstone. Instead, he left for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. To this day, I can’t believe that the Vikings let him get away. I know that there’s a lot we don’t now about negotiations between player and team but this one will always be a big Vikings mistake for me. Perhaps it’s his name change from Reggie Rutland. Maybe it’s because he played only five seasons (three as a starter) for the Vikings. I always thought Najee Mustafaa was a very underrated football player. From 1989-91, he and Carl Lee were an excellent corner pair. Audray McMillian is another underrated corner. He followed Mustafaa as the starter opposite Carl Lee. Unlike Mustafaa, McMillian did have one season with accolades. Due to his eight interceptions and two pick-6s, he was named 1st-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl in 1992. If Byron Murphy Jr. continues playing like he’s been playing, he could challenge the top five. 

Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Linebackers

The ranking of the Top Ten Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the linebackers.

The Vikings defensive front is loaded with Hall of Famers, soon-to-be Hall of Famers, and could-be Hall of Famers. The team’s linebacker tradition doesn’t really have any players like that. Most of the above Top-10 can be presented in a variety of orders. 

Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Linebackers

1.   Matt Blair

2.   Anthony Barr

3.   Eric Kendricks

4.   Jeff Siemon

5.   Chad Greenway

6.   Ed McDaniel

7.   Ben Leber 

8.   E.J. Henderson 

9.   Roy Winston 

10. Lonnie Warwick 

10. Wally Hilgenberg

Matt Blair is the one Vikings linebacker that’s deserving of a Hall of Fame argument. I have doubts that he’ll ever get it. A lot of players were added in the 1970s to eventually take over for the great players that formed the Purple People Eaters. It was a very tall task for all of those new players. Blair was the one player that was up to the task. While he started a handful of games as a rookie in 1974, he didn’t become a full-time starter until 1976. Blair was soon one of the best linebackers in the league. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times and 1st-team All-Pro once. In addition to his outstanding play on defense, he was one of the best kick blockers I’ve ever seen. I don’t think that Anthony Barr ever got enough credit for all that he did in Mike Zimmer’s defense. He was a great blend of speed and power. Zimmer’s team-defense revolved around his talents, physically as well as mentally. He probably would’ve been a bigger star as an edge rusher in a 3-4 but he was great in Zimmer’s 4-3. From UCLA to the Vikings, Eric Kendricks was Anthony Barr’s long-time defensive partner. Drafted a year apart, they were an outstanding pairing in the middle of the Vikings defense. Despite his modest size, Kendricks could do everything required of an NFL middle linebacker. Blitz, stop the run, and drop in coverage. He was named 1st-team All-Pro and went to his only Pro Bowl in 2019. With only that one season of post-season accolades, Kendricks was wildly underrated. He was one of the best middle linebackers in the game for all of his eight years in Minnesota. 

Jeff Siemon may have been the only Vikings player to have a good game in Super Bowl XI. It felt like he made every tackle that day. The Vikings terrific front four and safety Paul Krause got most of the defensive attention in the 1970s. Siemon was deserving of some of it. He was a very good linebacker. With four Pro Bowl appearances, he did get some recognition for his play. Chad Greenway lost his rookie season to a torn ACL in his first preseason game. He came back in 2007 like it never happened. He played all of his 11-year career in Minnesota and the fans love him for it. He was a very good, and often great, linebacker for all of those 11 years. Ed McDaniel is one of the most underrated players in Vikings history. John Randle got most of the attention on those modest Vikings defenses of the 1990s. McDaniel was deserving of much more attention than he received. He was named to one Pro Bowl. It should’ve been about five. 

In my opinion, Chad Greenway, E.J. Henderson, and Ben Leber are the best trio of linebackers in Vikings franchise history. Greenway was always so steady. Leber always seemed to be there for the big play when the big play had to be made. Henderson was the heart of the defense. After the brutal broken leg late in the 2009 season, his play and leadership was missed in the playoffs.

The linebacker trio of Greenway, Henderson, and Leber just edges that of Roy Winston, Lonnie Warwick, and Wally Hilgenberg for the best in franchise history. Winston was the Vikings starting left-side linebacker from 1963-73. Warwick was the starting middle linebacker from 1966-70. Hilgenberg was the right-side linebacker from 1969-76. In 1969, the Vikings defense emerged as one of the best the league has ever seen. Most of the attention was focused on the outstanding front four. In terms of accolades, the trio of linebackers that played behind them were mostly anonymous. Despite the lack of attention, the trio was very good and were a big part of those dominant Vikings defenses. 

Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Defensive Tackles

The ranking of the Top Ten Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the defensive tackles. 

The Vikings defensive end tradition is strong. Their defensive tackle tradition is even stronger. 

Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Defensive Tackles

1.   Alan Page

2.   John Randle

3.   Kevin Williams

4.   Keith Millard

5.   Henry Thomas

6.   Pat Williams

7.   Gary Larsen

8.   Linval Joseph

9.   Doug Sutherland

10. Tom Johnson

Older Vikings fans probably have Alan Page #1. Younger Vikings might have John Randle #1. Both have a bust in Canton. 

Alan Page was a great football player. His play was one of the reasons I fell for the Vikings as a California kid in the 1970s. After his unreal 1971 season, Page became the first defensive player to ever be named league MVP. His career accolades are many and rival those of any defensive tackle in league history:

MVP

Defensive Player of the Year

5x 1st-team All-Pro

3x 2nd-team All-Pro

9x Pro Bowl

1970s All-Decade

Just as Page ripped up the league in the late 1960s and the 1970s, John Randle ripped up the league in the 1990s. He had eight seasons of double-digit sacks in his 11 years in Minnesota. With his riotous on-field behavior, snap-to-whistle effort, and ridiculous production, Randle was and continues to be a fan favorite. 

Kevin Williams started his Vikings career as a defensive end. He collected 10.5 sacks on the edge as a rookie. He moved to the interior in his second season and was named 1st-team All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl. Over the next nine years, Williams would be named 1st-team All-Pro four more times and go to five more Pro Bowls. His outstanding play over his 11 years in Minnesota would earn him 2000s All-Decade honors. It should eventually get him into Canton. If not for the injuries that derailed, and then ended, his brilliant career, Keith Millard would have a bust in Canton. From 1985-89, he played the defensive tackle position as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. He wrecked offenses. In 1988, Millard was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. In 1989, he won it. He was also fifth (1988) and third (1989) in voting for league MVP . 

For his first three years, Henry Thomas was Keith Millard’s defensive tackle partner. For his final three years in Minnesota, he was John Randle’s defensive tackle partner. For all of his eight years at the heart of the Vikings defense, Thomas was a steady and often outstanding football player. His best years were the eight years in Minnesota. His entire 14-year career is deserving of a Hall of Fame discussion. Pat Williams was a very good and fun football player. During his six-year Vikings career, he paired with Kevin Williams to form the “Williams Wall.” For half of those six years, the duo were named to the Pro Bowl. No one ran on the “Williams Wall.” Pat Williams is one of the best free agent signings in Vikings franchise history. Gary Larsen was the least acclaimed of the Vikings brilliant Purple People Eaters defensive line. While Alan Page, Carl Eller, and Jim Marshall often met at the quarterback, Larsen was always there to clean up what was left. From 1965-73, Larsen was a steady and productive presence on the Vikings front. That play earned him Pro Bowl honors in 1969 and 1970. In Pat Williams and Linval Joseph, the Vikings were successful in finding enormous run-stuffers in free agency. Joseph was often a lot more than just a run-stuffer. There were stretches in which he destroyed offensive line interiors tasked only with slowing him. While Williams had Kevin Williams as an outstanding defensive tackle partner, the Vikings never could find a similar every-down partner for Joseph. When Joseph was at his best, he was unblockable. Doug Sutherland took over for Gary Larsen as the least acclaimed member of the Vikings Purple People Eaters. Sutherland started his NFL career as a guard for the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings acquired him in 1971 and immediately moved him to defense. He had a solid and overlooked 10-year career in Minnesota. 

For the final spot on this ranking, I’m going with one of the most underrated Vikings free agent additions. Like Lance Johnstone was for the defensive ends, Tom Johnson was something of a designated pass rusher at defensive tackle. He was a starter in 2017 but he always seemed more productive when his snaps were limited. He was an excellent pass rusher from the interior. Johnson had an interesting, nomadic, 13-year professional football career. 

Indianapolis Colts practice squad (2006-07)

Cologne Centurions (2007) - NFL Europe

Grand Rapids Rampage (2008) - Arena Football League

Philadelphia Soul (2009) - Arena Football League

Calgary Stampeders (2009-10) - Canadian Football League

New Orleans Saints (2011-13)

Minnesota Vikings (2014-17)

Seattle Seahawks (2018)

Minnesota Vikings (2018)

That’s persistence. That persistence was highlighted by his productive and underrated four-plus years with the Vikings.