5 best Minnesota Vikings fifth-round picks of the last decade

Robert Blanton – S (2012)

Robert Blanton was a fifth-round pick of the Vikings in the 2012 Draft. The former Notre Dame Golden Domer actually had pretty good production in his four years with the Vikings as he racked up 213 tackles, one interception, and five pass breakups. He didn’t make a lot of splash plays, but he was an adequate player who started 17 games during his tenure.

Blanton’s best year with the Vikings was in 2014 when he ended up starting 13 games. He had an impressive 106 tackles that season, which actually ended up being the most on the team.

After his career with Minnesota, Blanton signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills in 2016. Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury that year and it caused him to miss the final six games of the season.

Blanton signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017, but he was cut at the end of the preseason. He then returned to Buffalo for a brief stint before being let go for the final time.

Blanton won’t be inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor anytime soon. But the fact he lasted for four years and finished with over 200 tackles in a Minnesota uniform is an impressive feat for a fifth-round choice.