Minnesota Vikings: 10 best fifth round draft picks of all time
By Adam Carlson
5. Jasper Brinkley, LB – 2009
Perhaps he is a bit higher on this list than he should be because of recency bias, but Jasper Brinkley definitely was a contributor for the Minnesota Vikings defense when the unit as a whole struggled mightily.
Brinkley was only in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for four seasons, but while there he started 30 games at linebacker and played in 64 contests while wearing purple and gold in the middle of that defense.
In that time, he accumulated 200 total tackles (141 solo) with five forced fumbles, three pass defenses, and one sack. His claim to fame with the Vikings was that he was a hard worker who relied on his instincts and football smarts to make plays.
Brinkley also played for two other teams in his six-year NFL career, spending time with the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys while not making the 53-man roster of the New York Giants. Still, the Vikings got some solid play out of him considering where he was selected.