Best and worst Minnesota Vikings third-round picks of last decade

Jerick McKinnon – RB (2014)

Jerick McKinnon was a bit of a head-scratching pick when he was selected back in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

He wasn’t a well-known prospect at the time and not one draft expert had him going as early as the third round. Clearly, the Vikings knew more than the average draft pundit and made the right choice.

McKinnon proved to be quite the change of pace back to utilize behind Adrian Peterson. He was a threat at both catching the football as well as taking a handoff directly from the quarterback.

McKinnon was very productive during his run with Minnesota. He ran for just over 1,900 yards in his four seasons with the Vikings. He also rushed for seven touchdowns and he used his burst and shiftiness to elude linebackers and corners on his way to the end zone.

As stated above, McKinnon was a talented catcher of the football. In his tenure with Minnesota, he caught a total of 142 passes for 984 yards and five touchdowns. He proved to be a dynamic player who used his talent to create yardage when it wasn’t there.

McKinnon eventually wanted to become a starter and he knew it wouldn’t happen with the Vikings, so he left for San Francisco in 2018. Unfortunately, McKinnon blew out his knee before his first regular-season snap with the 49ers and he has since had complications that haven’t allowed him to take the field since he wore purple and gold.

It’s a sad turn of events for the former Minnesota running back. Hopefully, he can find his way back onto the field once again, as he proved to be a talented player who was well worth a third-round choice.