3. Christian Ponder – QB
First Round (12th overall) – 2011
Despite some draft experts thinking that Ponder wouldn’t come off the board until the second or third round in 2011, the Vikings still went ahead and selected the former Florida State passer with their first-round pick.
As a rookie, he showed some flashes of potential and he quickly became Minnesota’s full-time starting quarterback during his second year with the team. Ponder ended up playing in all 16 games for the Vikings in 2012, however, he only managed to throw for an underwhelming 2,935 yards and 18 touchdowns.
After suffering a rib injury three weeks into the 2013 season, he was replaced in the starting lineup by backup Matt Cassel and this was the beginning of the end for Ponder’s career in Minnesota.
He ended up starting six more games for the Vikings in 2013. But Minnesota signing free agent quarterback Josh Freeman during the middle of the season spoke volumes about the team’s confidence in Ponder moving forward.
During his final year with the Vikings in 2014, the former Florida State quarterback appeared in just one contest. In four seasons with Minnesota, he completed just 59.8 percent of his passes for 6,658 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.
Once viewed as the potential future under center for the Vikings, Ponder was never even able to live up to half of the expectations he was given after the team used their 2011 first-round draft pick on him.