2012
Draft
Harrison Smith
2013
Undrafted Free Agent
Adam Thielen
2014
Draft
Anthony Barr
2015
Draft
Eric Kendricks
Danielle Hunter
2016
Undrafted Free Agent
C.J. Ham
Free Agent
Rashod Hill
-Hill was plucked off the practice squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars late in the 2016 season.
2017
Draft
Dalvin Cook
2018
Draft
Brian O'Neill
Tyler Conklin
Free Agent
Kirk Cousins
2019
Draft
Garrett Bradbury
Irv Smith Jr.-IR
Alexander Mattison
Armon Watts
Oli Udoh
Kris Boyd
Olabisi Johnson-IR
Undrafted Free Agent
Brandon Dillon
2020
Draft
Justin Jefferson
Ezra Cleveland
Cameron Dantzler
D.J. Wonnum
James Lynch
Troy Dye
Harrison Hand
K.J. Osborn
Blake Brandel
Josh Metellus
Undrafted Free Agent
Dan Chisena-IR
Blake Lynch
Free Agent
Michael Pierce
Andrew DePaola
-DePaola was added late in the season
Some roster thoughts.
Due to salary cap issues, the Vikings weren’t expected to have an active this offseason. Those cap concerns didn’t slow Rick Spielman, Rob Brzezinski, and the team’s decision-makers. 23 of the players on the 53-man roster were added this offseason. That’s nearly 43.4% of the roster.
Sharrif Floyd
Xavier Rhodes
Cordarrelle Patterson
Sharrif Floyd's NFL story should've been much different. A surgical hack-up ended his career. Xavier Rhodes was great for a few years and then he suddenly wasn't. Cordarrelle Patterson was fun but, my goodness, learn to run a route. Mackensie Alexander and Stephen Weatherly remain from the 2016 draft. Each left during the 2020 offseason only to return this offseason.
While the 2013 draft makes no impact and the 2016 draft makes a slight impact on the current roster, it's important to remember that Adam Thielen (2013) and C.J. Ham (2016) arrived as undrafted free agents in those years.
At the other end of the draft-impact spectrum was the 2015 draft. Only Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter remain. That's significant in terms of quality. Stefon Diggs and Trae Waynes were also part of this draft class. Anthony Harris was signed after the 2015 draft. I wish that Diggs was still around but he sure made an impact while he was in Minnesota. Waynes might not have played to his 11th pick of the draft status but he was a quality starting corner for most of his five years with the Vikings. The 2015 draft was a high impact draft. I just wish that the class had stayed with the team longer, especially Diggs.
2021
Draft
Christian Darrisaw
Kellen Mond
Chaz Surratt
Wyatt Davis
Patrick Jones II
Kene Nwangwu-IR
Camryn Bynum
Janarius Robinson-IR
Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Jaylen Twyman-NFI/IR
Free Agent
Greg Joseph
Stephen Weatherly
Dalvin Tomlinson
Patrick Peterson
Mackensie Alexander
Xavier Woods
Nick Vigil
Bashaud Breeland
DeDe Westbrook
Sheldon Richardson
Everson Griffen
Sean Mannion
Jordan Berry
Ben Ellefson
Trade
Mason Cole
Chris Herndon
***
Some roster thoughts.
Due to salary cap issues, the Vikings weren’t expected to have an active this offseason. Those cap concerns didn’t slow Rick Spielman, Rob Brzezinski, and the team’s decision-makers. 23 of the players on the 53-man roster were added this offseason. That’s nearly 43.4% of the roster.
One of the more interesting aspects of the players that were added this offseason is the number of players that returned to Minnesota.
Stephen Weatherly
Mackensie Alexander
Sheldon Richardson
Everson Griffen
Sean Mannion
Everson Griffen was a fourth-round pick of the Vikings in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was a defensive mainstay for ten years before a one-year sabbatical in Dallas and Detroit in 2020. Mackensie Alexander and Stephen Weatherly were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. Alexander played in Cincinnati last year. Weatherly played in Carolina. Both returned to Minnesota this offseason. Sheldon Richardson signed with the Vikings in 2018 and played a single season in Minnesota. Sean Mannion was signed to back up Kirk Cousins in 2019 and 2020. It looked like he might spend 2021 with another team until his return to Minnesota last week. All five showed this offseason where they really want to be.
Everson Griffen was a fourth-round pick of the Vikings in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was a defensive mainstay for ten years before a one-year sabbatical in Dallas and Detroit in 2020. Mackensie Alexander and Stephen Weatherly were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. Alexander played in Cincinnati last year. Weatherly played in Carolina. Both returned to Minnesota this offseason. Sheldon Richardson signed with the Vikings in 2018 and played a single season in Minnesota. Sean Mannion was signed to back up Kirk Cousins in 2019 and 2020. It looked like he might spend 2021 with another team until his return to Minnesota last week. All five showed this offseason where they really want to be.
The 2013 and 2016 drafts have become no-shows. That's always disappointing and potentially franchise-wrecking. 2013, in particular, was disappointing. Three first-round picks.
Sharrif Floyd
Xavier Rhodes
Cordarrelle Patterson
Sharrif Floyd's NFL story should've been much different. A surgical hack-up ended his career. Xavier Rhodes was great for a few years and then he suddenly wasn't. Cordarrelle Patterson was fun but, my goodness, learn to run a route. Mackensie Alexander and Stephen Weatherly remain from the 2016 draft. Each left during the 2020 offseason only to return this offseason.
While the 2013 draft makes no impact and the 2016 draft makes a slight impact on the current roster, it's important to remember that Adam Thielen (2013) and C.J. Ham (2016) arrived as undrafted free agents in those years.
At the other end of the draft-impact spectrum was the 2015 draft. Only Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter remain. That's significant in terms of quality. Stefon Diggs and Trae Waynes were also part of this draft class. Anthony Harris was signed after the 2015 draft. I wish that Diggs was still around but he sure made an impact while he was in Minnesota. Waynes might not have played to his 11th pick of the draft status but he was a quality starting corner for most of his five years with the Vikings. The 2015 draft was a high impact draft. I just wish that the class had stayed with the team longer, especially Diggs.
22 of the 53 players on the Vikings current roster were selected in one of the last three drafts. That’s 41.5% of the roster.
Only 8 of the 53 players on the current Vikings roster were with the team prior to 2018. That's about 15.1% of the roster. This is a young team.
Only 8 of the 53 players on the current Vikings roster were with the team prior to 2018. That's about 15.1% of the roster. This is a young team.
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