5 best Minnesota Vikings fourth-round picks of the last decade
By Nik Edlund
Rhett Ellison – TE (2012)
The Vikings grabbed Rhett Ellison in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. They used him as sort of an H-back, which is primarily a fullback/tight end hybrid role.
Ellison had a productive run with Minnesota in his five seasons with the team. He started over 40 games and while he didn’t put up huge numbers, he made clutch grabs in key situations and he was often used as a blocker in the run game.
Ellison caught 51 passes for 515 yards and three touchdowns during his time with the Vikings. While not being a huge offensive threat, he’s the type of hard-nosed player coaches love, as he was willing to do the dirty work like blocking and playing special teams.
Ellison left Minnesota in free agency and signed with the New York Giants in 2017. He has gone on to have a solid three years for the Giants so far and he was definitely a great choice by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.