6 worst Minnesota Vikings first-round picks of the last decade

Cordarrelle Patterson – WR (2013)

Cordarrelle Patterson wasn’t a bust by any means. He is just kind of more of a “meh” type of player. He had a bit of a weird stint with the Vikings, as head coach Mike Zimmer never seemed to warm up to him and the team often refused to play him on offense or at least play him in a way that best suited his skill set.

There’s no denying that Patterson was an electric return man. He even was recently named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team because of his return skills.

Being a good returner is nice and all, but returners aren’t selected with first-round picks, especially when numerous future choices are given up to acquire that pick.

Patterson never lived up to being the dynamic receiver many figured he’d be. He was kind of seen as a cross between Randy Moss and Percy Harvin as he was a bigger receiver, but he also possessed the skills of a talented running back. Minnesota used him sparingly in this dual role, which seemed like a mistake.

Patterson’s best season with the team was his rookie year. That year he exploded on the scene with 45 receptions for 469 yards and four touchdowns. He added 158 yards on the ground and three more scores. He appeared to be heading for stardom, but then Zimmer came to town.

During the rest of his tenure with Minnesota, Patterson’s involvement in the offense was never really significant like it was during his first year with the team.

He finished out his rookie deal with the team and ended his Vikings career with 132 receptions, 1,316 yards, and seven touchdowns. On the ground, he accumulated 785 yards and seven touchdowns.

While Patterson was far from a bust, he didn’t become the No. 1 receiving target Minnesota thought they were getting and he has to be considered a poor first-round choice because of this.