The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off in 19 days, and the Minnesota Vikings will hope to enhance a depth chart that already seems fairly promising.
The 5 Largest Draft Blunders in Vikings Historical past
The franchise has encountered some notable misses since 1961, with onlookers hoping basic supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will keep away from such blunders this go-round.
Ranked in ascending order (No. 1=worst draft decide), these are the 5 worst draft picks in Vikings historical past.
5. D.J. Dozier (RB)
Minnesota drafted Dozier from Spherical 1 of the 1987 NFL Draft with the 14th total decide. Again then, the NFL was relatively run-happy, so the Dozier choice would’ve meant much more 38 years in the past than some workforce drafting a operating again right now.
Sadly, Dozier didn’t quantity to a lot in purple, sticking round for 37 video games and banking 691 speeding yards and seven speeding touchdowns. His season excessive of speeding yards peaked at 257 in 1987, his rookie season.
Dozier was out of the NFL by age 26, making an attempt on the Detroit Lions on for measurement in 1991 earlier than retiring.
He was a flop.
4. Erasmus James (DT)
James joined the Vikings as a 1st-Rounder in 2005, the 18th decide within the draft that season. Like most 1st-Rounders, Minnesota had excessive hopes for the younger defensive sort out, however he by no means took off and slipped out of the NFL after the 2008 season.
He performed 23 video games in Minnesota, with 12 begins, tabulating 38 tackles and 5 sacks. James battled accidents throughout his temporary profession, ultimately traded to the Washington Commanders in spring 2008. In fact, he didn’t play properly there, both.
Lately, he’s about the identical age as Aaron Rodgers, if that may be believed.
3. Lewis Cine (S)
Cine performed 10 defensive snaps earlier than leaving the franchise final summer time. Simply 10.
He broke his leg in London throughout a sport with the New Orleans Saints as a rookie, and that each one however ended his Vikings profession. Cine returned for 2023, hardly performed, and was launched a 12 months later amid roster trimdowns.
Not for nothing, Cine received a Tremendous Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles two months in the past, although he didn’t do a lot of something.
His fractured femur, after all, was a uncooked deal, and people accidents can’t be predicted, however he’ll stay one of many worst purple draft picks ever. Cine stays on the Eagles’ roster.
2. Leo Hayden (RB)
Earlier than Chuck Foreman saved the day, Minnesota drafted Hayden in Spherical 1 of the 1971 NFL Draft.
He performed within the preseason that 12 months, after which that was it. Hayden latched onto the St. Louis Cardinals within the early 70s, gained 11 complete speeding yards, and retired at 25.
His bio may make Lewis Cine appear like an all-star.
1. Dimitrius Underwood (LB)
Minnesota drafted Underwood in Spherical 1 again in 1999, and in contrast to Hayden, the off-ball linebacker didn’t even make it to the preseason.
On an August day in 1999, Underwood walked away from Vikings coaching camp, ending his profession within the Twin Cities. He latched onto the Dallas Cowboys roster a 12 months later however didn’t quantity to a lot. Authorized troubles adopted Underwood all through the 2000s, and he would ultimately open up about his struggles with psychological well being, that are far more out within the open now than in 1999.
Underwood’s household accused a cult of messing together with his head.
His Vikings profession was a fiasco.
