Is Laquon Treadwell the biggest draft bust in Vikings history?

Other recent Vikings’ draft busts

Laquon Treadwell has some strong competition in recent history if he is to be considered as the Vikings biggest ever draft bust.

There are plenty of first-round candidates that warrant consideration over the last 20 years. One of these is offensive tackle Matt Kalil, who was taken fourth overall and failed to build on a Pro Bowl rookie campaign before eventually being shipped out.

Another who performed well initially, but tailed off even more rapidly was defensive end Erasmus James. He was part of a hugely disappointing 2005 draft class and was eventually let go in 2008 after a series of disappointing displays.

The ill-fated 2005 NFL Draft also saw the Vikings take Troy Williamson with a first-round pick (seventh overall). If Minnesota’s fan base was hoping Williamson was going to become an heir apparent to Hall of Famer Randy Moss, they were sadly mistaken.

Williamson struggled to bring in targets despite his speed getting him into promising positions. He eventually finished with a total of just 1,131 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the Vikings took quarterback Christian Ponder with the 12th pick in 2011. Their skepticism was justified regarding the quarterback, who completed just 59.8 percent of his passes in the four years he was under center for the franchise during a spell littered with inconsistencies and poor decision-making.

And who could forget 1999 first-round selection Dimitrius Underwood? He was taken with the 29th pick and did not play one down for the franchise.

The defensive end had plenty of red flags coming out of Michigan State and walked away from a lucrative contract just two days after signing it. It has since been revealed that Underwood suffered from battles with mental health that impacted his decision to walk away from the NFL.