Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Running Backs

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

I suppose that one could just go down the Vikings career rushing leaders for this ranking. As with the quarterbacks, the top four Vikings running backs are straightforward.

Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Running Backs

1.   Adrian Peterson

2.   Chuck Foreman

3.   Robert Smith

4.   Dalvin Cook

5.   Bill Brown

6.   Tommy Mason

7.   Darrin Nelson

8.   Dave Osborn

9.   Ted Brown

10. Terry Allen

Despite being #4 on the Vikings career rushing leaders, Chuck Foreman passes Robert Smith and Dalvin Cook in this ranking. For about a four-year period, Foreman was arguably the league’s best running back. He was definitely the most versatile. If he’d avoided the injuries that shortened his career, he would’ve been in Canton long ago. Despite the shortened career, he has a Hall of Fame argument that’s yet to be heard. Smith would also have a Hall of Fame case if his career hadn’t taken so long to get rolling and if he hadn’t retired so early. As it was, his career was brilliant for four years. The same can be said of Cook. An ACL injury in the fourth game of his rookie season essentially wrecked his first two seasons. Over the next four seasons he was one of the most explosive backs in the league. While he’s honored in the team’s Ring of Honor, Bill Brown is one of the underrated franchise greats. Like Foreman, injuries whittled away at Tommy Mason’s talents. As the first pick in franchise history, Mason emerged as the Vikings first great offensive playmaker. Darrin Nelson’s Vikings career was doomed from the start as he was selected ahead of Marcus Allen in the 1982 NFL Draft. Nelson was a solid, versatile but never great running back. Allen was an all-time great. With 972 yards in 1967, Dave Osborn was the first Vikings back to challenge the 1000-yard mark. He and Bill Brown led an effective Vikings running committee as the team became a league power in the late 1960s. Ted Brown had the unfortunate responsibility of being drafted to replace Foreman. That’s a no-win situation. After Foreman did it three times, Brown was the second Vikings back to gain 1000 yards. Terry Allen was the third. After gaining 1200 yards in his second season, it looked like he was going to be the team’s next great runner. Instead, he left as a free agent. He’s probably better remembered for his time with Washington than his promising start in Minnesota.