5 players the Minnesota Vikings regret not drafting in 2020

Antoine Winfield Jr. – DB

The Vikings should’ve picked Antoine Winfield Jr. when they traded back to the 30th pick in the first round and while they may never admit it, it’s the truth.

Instead, Minnesota drafted Jeff Gladney and while he proved to be a willing tackler in 2020, he wasn’t able to make the sort of game-changing plays that Winfield did all throughout his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winfield was a playmaker in his days at the University of Minnesota and this has carried over to the NFL. The kid had three sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception, six pass breakups, and 94 tackles this past season.

Yes, it can be argued that the Vikings had to add a corner with their second pick in the first round because of need. But Winfield has the ability to play both cornerback and safety and he likely would’ve done just that had Minnesota drafted him.

The bigger sin for not taking Winfield is his lineage. He is the son of Viking legend, Antoine Winfield Sr., and he was clearly a fan of the purple growing up.

He went on Twitter after Tampa’s recent playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints to share how he enjoyed making grown men cry and that the win was dedicated to his Dad after what happened during the 2009 NFC Championship.

This guy has ached with Vikings fans over the years and clearly, he hates the Saints as much as the majority of Minnesota fans do. To have him on the team would’ve been truly special, and while Gladney may pan out, Winfield clearly looks to be the better player at this point.