Minnesota Vikings: 15 best first-round draft picks of all time
By Adam Carlson
The first overall selection of the 1968 NFL Draft out of USC, Ron Yary won the right tackle position during his second season in Minnesota as a protector of quarterback Joe Kapp. He is the first-ever offensive lineman to be picked with the first pick in a draft.
In Yary’s rookie year, the Vikings made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and he was a key part of the 1969 NFL Championship team despite missing three games of the season due to a previous military commitment.
Proving to be one of the most solid and competitive players to ever put on a Vikings uniform, Yary missed only two games due to injury in his career, with both being because of a broken ankle.
He appeared in seven Pro Bowls, was a member of eight All-Pro teams, joined the Vikings Ring of Honor, was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, and was a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2001.
– AC