Minnesota Vikings: 10 best fourth-round draft picks of all-time
By Adam Carlson
5. Ray Edwards, defensive end – 2006
One place where the Minnesota Vikings have found success in the mid-to-late rounds of the NFL Draft is pass rushers. The team seems to have a nice ability to evaluate defensive ends and get some great value out of them.
Ray Edwards was a standout at Purdue where he used a great football intelligence along with a great combination of size and speed to get around offensive linemen. Those skills translated nicely to the NFL, where Edwards made an impact right away.
Starting two games and playing in a total of 15 contests as a rookie, he compiled nine hits on opposing quarterbacks and three sacks while defending two passes. From there, things got better when Edwards was on the field.
In his five seasons with the Vikings, Edwards played in 78 games for Minnesota and started 58 of those where he accumulated 29.5 sacks with 76 hits on opposing quarterbacks while adding 12 pass defenses, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown.