Ron Yary – LT
Draft Year: 1968
Draft Selection: Pick No. 1 (First Round)
It’s been a while since the Vikings had a franchise left tackle. Regardless, none of them have ever been as good as what Ron Yary was able to do in purple and gold.
During their history, Minnesota has only had the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft twice. Their first opportunity in 1961 turned out okay after using it on former Tulane running back Tommy Mason. But the Vikings’ second chance to use the first overall pick really couldn’t have turned out much better.
With the top selection in the 1968 NFL Draft, Minnesota went with Yary, a talented offensive tackle out of USC. He was the first offensive lineman in the history of the draft to be selected with the No. 1 pick.
In 14 seasons with the Vikings, Yary went to the Pro Bowl seven times, and he was a six-time First-Team All-Pro. In 2001, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.