Sporting News Ranks Vikings’ 2005 Draft Among Worst of 2000s

May 11, 2012; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice during rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Sporting News has a run down of their 10 worst drafts of the decade from 2000-2009. And the Vikings made the list.

According to Sporting News, the Vikings’ 2005 draft effort was a “very underrated stinker of a draft.”

The Vikings went in that year believing they needed to replace Randy Moss, whom they had traded away in the offseason. Mike Tice and the Vikes were determined to take a receiver with the #7 overall pick regardless of value.

Great example of why you should never draft for need over value at the top of the draft. The Vikings took Troy Williamson out of South Carolina, and he was a massive bust, arguably the worst draft pick in team history.

Things didn’t go much better with their #17 overall selection, Erasmus James. The DE out of Wisconsin showed a little flash of promise early but he quickly washed out.

It wasn’t just the top of the draft where the Vikings failed that year, it was the whole thing top to bottom.

They went with guard Marcus Johnson in the second round, and he gave them nothing. S Dustin Fox was their third round pick and he lasted just a year.

Fourth-round pick Ciatrick Fason had a fun name to say but was not a fun player to watch.

In the sixth round they took C.J. Mosley, a defensive tackle who they ended up trading to the Jets for Brooks Bollinger. Mosley has actually turned out to be a decent journeyman in the league, but he gave the Vikings nothing.

Their final selection was a DB named Adrian Ward. He did zilch.

This terrible draft class helped seal the fate of Mike Tice, who would be fired after the 2005 season. It is justly considered one of the worst drafts of the 2000s.

But thank goodness the Vikings had just the one unspeakable draft in that decade. The Lions had three. Oh Matt Millen.

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