Which players failed to live up to their expectations after being selected in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings?
Each and every year, the Minnesota Vikings head into the NFL Draft with the hopes that their top selection will evolve into at least a solid contributor on their roster for a number of seasons.
Sometimes it actually works out for the Vikings and their top draft selection ends up developing into one of the best players in franchise history. But there is also the other side of the spectrum where Minnesota makes a bad call and their top pick in the draft ends up turning into a bust.
The Vikings have certainly had their share of great draft selections. However, they have also made some of the worst picks in the history of the NFL Draft.
So what exactly should qualify a player as a draft bust? Well, not meeting the expectations that come with being a high pick in the draft definitely seems like a big factor.
Players shouldn’t be considered a bust if they are drafted outside of the second round though. Some may even believe that second-round selections should never be given the bust label.
Second-round picks more often than not translate into at least becoming starters in the NFL though. So when they don’t, then they should be included among the group that can be considered a bust.
So let’s just get to it and go over who the 15 biggest draft busts have been during the history of the Minnesota Vikings franchise.
15. Sharrif Floyd – DT
First Round (23rd overall) – 2013
Some may not think it’s fair to include Floyd on this list given his career unfortunately coming to an end due to a botched surgery. However, health is still very much a factor when determining whether or not a draft pick turned out a be a bust.
Projected by many to be a top 10 selection in 2013, Floyd ended up still being on the board when it came time for the Vikings to make their first choice at pick No. 23 in the first round.
Minnesota took the former Florida defensive tackle and he went on to play in all 16 games of his rookie season. In 2014 and 2015, Floyd started a total of 23 contests for the Vikings and he was developing into a solid piece of the team’s rapidly improving defense.
But in 2017, he appeared in just one game and that would eventually turn out to be the last time he would take the field in a Minnesota uniform. During his four-year career with the Vikings, Floyd racked up a total of 95 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 44 appearances.
14. Toby Gerhart – RB
Second Round (51st overall) – 2010
For a team that already had an All-Pro running back in Adrian Peterson, it seemed odd when the Vikings used their second-round pick in 2010 on Gerhart. The second round is usually still a time when teams look to potentially add a starter in their backfield, but Minnesota apparently felt fine using this high of a selection on someone to back up Peterson.
A stat-machine during his college days at Stanford, Gerhart lasted four seasons in Minnesota and he was never able to really figure out his purpose on the team’s roster. It wasn’t really his fault though.
Peterson was the Vikings’ starter and he was a traditional three-down back, so there weren’t really a ton of opportunities for Gerhart to make plays.
After four seasons with Minnesota and just six starts to his name, the former Stanford running back left in 2014 and spent his next two years as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. During his time with the Vikings, Gerhart rushed for a total of 1,305 yards and five touchdowns while also catching 77 passes for 600 yards and three scores.
This being included as a bust is due more to the decision of Minnesota to even use such a high selection on Gerhart than his actual performance. The Vikings should have never taken him in the second round if all they were going to do was have him be their backup.
13. Chris Cook – CB
Second Round (34th overall) – 2010
Cook ended up being the Vikings’ top draft pick in 2010 after the team traded out of the first round. Minnesota went with the former Virginia cornerback in the hopes that he would become the kryptonite for some of the top wide receivers around the NFL.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, Cook was never able to emerge as the top cover corner that the team had envisioned he could become when they drafted him.
His inability to stay on the field certainly had a lot to do with his lack of success in Minnesota. During his four years with the Vikings, Cook missed a total of 30 games.
When he actually was out on the field, he somehow managed to never intercept a single pass. Cook accumulated a total of 14 pass breakups during his time with Minnesota, but nothing he did in a purple and gold uniform ever resulted in him ending up with an interception.
Cook left the Vikings for free agency in 2014 and he hasn’t been on an NFL roster since the 2015 preseason.
12. Torrian Gray – DB
Second Round (49th overall) – 1997
As was the case with Sharrif Floyd, Gray appears on this list thanks to an injury that cut his career in the NFL short.
After appearing in all 16 games for the Vikings during his rookie season in 1997, the former Virginia Tech defensive back was only on the field for nine of Minnesota’s matchups during his second year with the team. Gray tore all of the ligaments in his left knee during the Vikings’ Week 10 win over the New Orleans Saints and he was lost for the remainder of the season.
He made an attempt to return to the field for Minnesota prior to the 2000 season. But his performance during a Vikings’ spring minicamp resulted in him realizing that he was nothing close to the player he once was before his knee injury.
So instead of continuing his comeback attempt, Gray decided to retire from the NFL shortly after that Minnesota minicamp.
The Vikings passed on guys like Ronde Barber, Jason Taylor, and Derrick Mason in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft when they went with Gray instead. Although his career came to end due to an unfortunate injury, appearing in just two seasons after being drafted in the second round is enough to be considered a bust.
11. Willie Howard – DE
Second Round (57th overall) – 2001
Throughout their history, the Vikings have certainly had some bad luck with a number of their early-round draft selections. A bunch had their NFL careers cut short by unfortunate injuries and Howard was among those that had to give up the game early.
The former Stanford defensive lineman didn’t even make it past his rookie season before suffering a career-ending injury.
During Minnesota’s Week 13 win over the Tennessee Titans in 2001, Titans offensive tackle Brad Hopkins delivered a cut block to Howard and it resulted in the Vikings defensive lineman tearing ligaments in his knee and breaking his right leg.
Howard never appeared in another game for Minnesota thanks to the decision made by Hopkins that day. The young Vikings defensive lineman finished his NFL career with 15 total tackles in eight appearances.
10. Laquon Treadwell – WR
First Round (23rd overall) – 2016
Treadwell would be higher on this list if not for the microscopic chance that he still has to turn his NFL career into something respectable.
He is still currently a member of the Vikings, but it would surprise no one if he didn’t end up making the team’s final 2019 roster. And after what he’s put out on the field during his first three seasons with Minnesota, no one would blame the team for cutting ties with their 2016 first-round pick.
Despite only catching one ball during his rookie year, Treadwell was given a bit of a pass heading into his second season with the Vikings. Year two with Minnesota, however, wasn’t much better than year one.
In 2017, Treadwell finished with just 20 catches for 200 yards and zero touchdowns. This time, the excuse was that Vikings quarterback Case Keenum never looked his way whenever the young receiver was out on the field.
So with a new starting signal-caller in Kirk Cousins for the 2018 season, some felt that Treadwell would finally have himself a decent year. However, it was just more of the same.
Last season, he hauled in 35 passes for just 302 yards and one touchdown. That score is the only one of his NFL career and he currently has fewer career touchdowns than Minnesota defensive end Danielle Hunter.
In a few more years, Treadwell may find his name higher on this list if he continues to perform at an underwhelming level.
9. Michael Bennett – RB
First Round (27th overall) – 2001
After the unexpected retirement of Robert Smith, running back suddenly became a need for the Vikings as they prepared for the 2001 NFL Draft.
In the end, Minnesota went with Bennett and they hoped that he could one day be as productive for them as Smith was. After his first two seasons with the Vikings, this actually seemed like a possibility.
Bennett only finished with 682 rushing yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2001. But in 2002, the young Minnesota running back earned a trip to the Pro Bowl after racking up 1,647 yards and six touchdowns.
However, Bennett missed eight games in 2003 after breaking a bone in his foot during the offseason and his career with the Vikings was never the same. During his next three years, the Minnesota running back never gained more than 473 yards in a single season.
After a 2005 campaign that saw him fumble the football five times, the Vikings decided they were better off without Bennett and released him.
8. Derrick Alexander – DE
First Round (11th overall) – 1995
For a guy that was drafted ahead of current Pro Football Hall of Famers Warren Sapp, Ty Law, Derrick Brooks, Curtis Martin, and Terrell Davis in 1995, Alexander should have been a much better player for the Vikings. But during his four seasons with Minnesota, the young pass rusher struggled to live up the expectations that came with being a first-round draft pick.
To his credit, Alexander was a starting defensive end for the Vikings during each of his four years with the team. He just never performed at that high of a level.
In 57 games with Minnesota, Alexander ended up with 175 total tackles and only 17.5 sacks. He averaged less than five sacks per season during his time with the Vikings.
Some believe that the pass rusher’s struggles were because he wasn’t really a fit for Minnesota’s defense. Alexander was viewed as more of a fit for a 3-4 defense and the Vikings used a 4-3 alignment on the defensive side of the ball during his entire tenure with the team.
So perhaps Minnesota deserves some of the blame for using such a high draft pick on a player who wasn’t even a fit for their defense.
7. D.J. Dozier – RB
First Round (14th overall) – 1987
After going five-straight seasons without having a 1,000-yard rusher, the Vikings used their first-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft on Penn State running back D.J. Dozier.
At Penn State, Dozier scored a total of 29 touchdowns and gained over 3,000 rushing yards, so Minnesota figured they were getting a player who would turn into the franchise’s next great running back. Unfortunately, his success in college never transitioned over to the NFL.
In four seasons with the Vikings from 1987 to 1990, Dozier never ended a year with more than 260 rushing yards and he never caught more than 14 passes. These aren’t exactly the numbers that one would expect from a running back who was drafted in the first round.
His lack of production was mostly due to his inability to stay healthy. Dozier missed 15 games during his first two years with Minnesota and some believe his underwhelming start to his career with the Vikings is what led the team to make their infamous trade for Dallas Cowboys running back Herschel Walker.
So not only was Dozier a draft bust, but his poor play is likely what caused Minnesota to make arguably the dumbest trade in the history of the franchise.
6. Tarvaris Jackson – QB
Second Round (64th overall) – 2006
Despite already making three selections during the first two rounds of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Vikings had their eyes on a particular passing prospect and felt the need to move back into the second round to snag him.
Minnesota ended up trading their two third-round selections to the Pittsburgh Steelers to return to the second round and draft Alabama State quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.
Jackson was touted as the Vikings’ next great passer and he turned out to be far from it. He spent five seasons in Minnesota and he started more than five games in a year just once. Jackson also never finished a season with more than 1,915 passing yards or nine touchdowns.
In 2008, he started under center for the Vikings in their playoff matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and he couldn’t have played worse. In Minnesota’s loss to the Eagles, Jackson completed just 42.9 percent of his passes for 164 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
It didn’t take very long into his career for the Vikings to realize that Jackson was nothing close to the answer they were searching for under center.
5. Matt Kalil – OT
First Round (4th overall) – 2012
Like Treadwell, Kalil actually still has a job in the NFL. He’s currently with the Houston Texans, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll be on the team’s roster come the start of the 2019 season.
After the Vikings used a top-five pick on Kalil in the 2012 draft, the team was hoping that they had just found their starting left tackle for the next decade. And following his rookie year, the young Minnesota blocker seemed headed in this direction.
As part of the offensive line that helped Vikings running back Adrian Peterson rush for over 2,000 yards in 2012, Kalil earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Minnesota likely figured that it was just the first of many Pro Bowl invites their young left tackle would receive during his NFL career.
But in his next four seasons with the Vikings, Kalil didn’t even sniff anything close to another Pro Bowl selection. Instead, he regressed into becoming one of the worst offensive linemen in the league.
His tenure in Minnesota eventually came to an end in 2017 following a season that saw him only appear in two games due to injury.
Kalil is one of six players to ever be drafted within the top five by the Vikings and the argument that he is the worst of the bunch is not a hard one to make.
4. Erasmus James – DE
First Round (18th overall) – 2005
For the Vikings, their selections from the 2005 NFL Draft turned out to be some of the worst in franchise history. Picking James was among Minnesota’s bad decisions that year.
After an impressive college career at Wisconsin, the Vikings figured the young pass rusher could continue his success as a member of their roster. James actually showed a bit of promise during his rookie season as he racked up a total of 28 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble.
However, that year would turn out to be the most productive of his professional football career.
During his next two seasons with Minnesota, James appeared in just eight of a possible 32 games due to knee injuries. He suffered a torn ACL in 2006 and in 2007, he injured the same knee.
After the second knee injury, the Vikings decided to cut their losses and they waived James during the 2008 offseason. He went from a top 20 pick in the NFL Draft to a guy on the waiver wire in the span of just three years.
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.
2. Troy Williamson – WR
First Round (7th overall) – 2005
Williamson was basically doomed from the start as he was immediately labeled as the guy who was going to step in and replace All-Pro wide receiver, Randy Moss. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t end up being the case.
Forget Moss though, Williamson’s performance in a Vikings uniform wasn’t even good enough to forget about the departure of Kelly Campbell in 2004.
In three seasons with Minnesota, Williamson managed to only catch a total of 87 passes (47 percent of his targets) for 1,131 yards and four touchdowns. And yes, he only lasted three years with the Vikings.
Drafted mainly for his speed and ability to stretch the field, Williamson had no problem blowing past defenders. His struggles showed up when it actually came time to catch the football, which was pretty significant since that was his main job as a wide receiver.
Williamson’s inability to successfully haul in passes quickly wore out his welcome in Minnesota and the team ultimately sent him packing in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008.
1. Dimitrius Underwood – DE
First Round (29th overall) – 1999
Not only did Underwood never appear in a single regular season game for the Vikings, but he also didn’t even play in a preseason contest for Minnesota either.
There were a number of red flags surrounding the defensive lineman coming out of Michigan State, but the Vikings were so in love with his potential that they didn’t care. Minnesota quickly realized why many were skeptical of Underwood’s chances to succeed in the NFL.
After one training camp practice with the Vikings, the young defensive end left the team and the state of Minnesota. That’s it, one practice and he was done as a member of the Vikings forever.
Just two days prior to his exit, Underwood had agreed to a five-year deal with Minnesota worth $5.3 million. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t see any of that money.
It was later revealed that Underwood’s issues extended way beyond the football field. He struggled mightily with his mental health and it ultimately prevented him from reaching any sort of potential he had in the NFL.