Two Minnesota Vikings players named 2017 First-Team All-Pros

The Minnesota Vikings were represented by safety Harrison Smith and corner Xavier Rhodes on the Associated Press’ 2017 NFL All-Pro team that was revealed on Friday.

He may not have been voted to the Pro Bowl, but many who cover the NFL know just how impressive Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has been during the 2017 season. Those thoughts were validated on Friday when Smith was among the players selected by the Associated Press for their 2017 All-Pro team.

But the safety was not the only member of the Vikings’ roster to be among those selected by the Associated Press. Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes was also chosen to be a part of the 2017 All-Pro First Team.

For Smith and Rhodes, the is the first time in each player’s career that they have been named a First Team All-Pro by the Associated Press. Smith received 45 of a possible 50 votes to land on the first team while Rhodes pulled in 21 total votes.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings were also represented on the All-Pro Second Team by defensive end Everson Griffen and wide receiver Adam Thielen (Rhodes was oddly a second-team selection as well). This is the first time either player has been included among those chosen for either Associated Press All-Pro team during their NFL careers.

A few other players from Minnesota’s roster also received votes this year including linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks and punt returner Marcus Sherels. However, none of these three earned enough votes to get selected for the first or second team.

It is a little surprising that the Vikings did not have more players from their roster chosen to be All-Pros this year. Not a single member of Minnesota’s offensive line, defensive tackle Linval Joseph, or punter Ryan Quigley even received a vote after the season’s they had in 2017.

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But as Smith, Rhodes, and the rest of the Vikings’ locker room will likely say when asked about the All-Pro team in the near future, all that really matters this year is Minnesota finishing their 2017 season by earning the franchise’s very first Super Bowl victory.