Top 10 Minnesota VIkings Receivers

The ranking of the Top 10 Minnesota Vikings players at each continues with the receivers. The receiver tradition of the Vikings can rival that of any team in the NFL. Two Vikings receivers have busts in Canton and the sculpting of a bust for the third can probably begin. Receiver has always been my favorite position. Following the Vikings receivers for the past 50+ years have been an amazing treat. 

Top Ten Minnesota Vikings Receivers

1. Cris Carter

2. Randy Moss

3. Justin Jefferson

There isn’t a team in the league that can challenge the Vikings top three receivers. Most people would probably have Randy Moss over Cris Carter. I get it. Moss is the most physically gifted receiver to ever play. I have Carter #1 simply because he and Alan Page are my favorite Vikings. It’s a personal thing. As a fan of receivers, I never thought I’d ever see a Vikings receiver could rival Carter and Moss. Along came Justin Jefferson. Just as I thought I’d never see a receiver challenge Carter and Moss. I never thought I’d ever see a player challenge Carter and Page. Jefferson is doing both. He’s done so much already, it’s unbelievable that he’s only played six seasons. He’s a brilliant, fun receiver and football player. And person. 

4. Anthony Carter

It’s hard to believe that Cris Carter was once the second Carter to Anthony Carter. If Anthony Carter had come straight to the Vikings rather than slumming it in the USFL for three years, he’d have a better Hall of Fame argument. His destruction of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1987 Divisional Playoffs will always be remembered. 

5. Ahmad Rashad

Another receiver that should’ve gotten to the Vikings sooner was Ahmad Rashad. If he’d played his entire career with Fran Tarkenton and Tommy Kramer, he’d be in the Hall of Fame. For all of his seven years in Minnesota, he was one of the best receivers in the league. 

6. Percy Harvin

It’s a shame that Percy Harvin spent only four seasons with the Vikings. He’s at #6 on this list mostly for his unreal athleticism. Harvin was one of the most fun, most explosive Vikings players I’ve ever seen. In terms of pure explosive talent, he’s right there with Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson. I hated to see Harvin leave Minnesota. I really hated to see him leave for Seattle. 

7. Adam Thielen

Adam Thielen is a great Minnesota story. His is also a great football story. He was also an excellent receiver. From the blocked punt and touchdown return against the Carolina Panthers as an anonymous special teams player to all of his brilliant catches, Thielen was a fun football player. My favorite Adam Thielen moment will always be his complete dismantling of New Orleans Saints corner Marshon Lattimore in the game that ended with the Minneapolis Colts. Thielen forced Lattimore into holding and pass interference penalties on the same play. And he still made the catch over the stunned and beaten corner. 

8. Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs’ time in Minnesota is interesting. Highlighted by the Minneapolis Miracle, his play was often outstanding. Quickness, route-running, hands. He had fun receiving traits. On and off the field, he was also quite unpredictable. That unpredictability eventually sent him to the Buffalo Bills and brought Justin Jefferson to Minnesota. 

9. Sammy White

Sammy White exploded on the NFL scene as a rookie. He was the second of four Vikings receivers to earn the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Sammy White and Ahmad Rashad were the first great Vikings receiver tandem. 

10. Jake Reed

Cris Carter and Jake Reed were one of the league’s best receiving duos for much of the 1990s. For four seasons, both gained over 1,000 yards. Playing in Carter’s shadow and then pushed to #3 when Randy Moss was drafted, Reed will always be an underrated receiver 

10. John Gilliam

It’s easy to get lost in the Vikings great receiver tradition. John Gilliam shouldn’t be forgotten. He came to Minnesota the same year Fran Tarkenton returned (1972). They immediately had a big play connection. From 1972-74, Gilliam averaged 22.0, 21.6, and 22.2 yards per reception. That’s ridiculous during any era. It was especially ridiculous during an era in which the league’s rules didn’t do much to aid the passing game.