Christian Ponder
- Draft Year: 2011
- Draft Round: 1st
- Draft Pick: No. 12
The fact that Christian Ponder is even on this list should say a lot about the number of quality quarterbacks the Vikings have drafted during their history as a franchise.
When Minnesota selected Ponder in the 2011 NFL Draft, it felt like a pick that was only made in order to make sure they left the first round with a quarterback.
Some didn’t even view Ponder as a signal-caller worthy of a first-round selection, but the Vikings clearly felt differently. Unfortunately for him, his tenure in Minnesota isn’t something that is remembered fondly.
During his college career at Florida State, Ponder was utilized as both a rusher and a passer. He had the athletism to excel as a rusher, but instead of using this skill to their advantage, the Vikings decided they wanted to make Ponder a pure-pocket passer.
Unsurprisingly, this plan went terribly, and it resulted in Ponder getting benched as a starter midway through his third season with Minnesota.
He finished his Vikings career with 6,658 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions in addition to 639 rushing yards and seven more trips to the end zone.