6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
By Adam Carlson
Fran Tarkenton, QB – 1961 Round 3
Younger fans of the Minnesota Vikings may only be familiar with Fran Tarkenton from old highlight videos or their grandpa telling them stories of listening to games on the radio but for a while, he was the face of the franchise.
Tarkenton hosted Saturday Night Live back in the day and scored five total touchdowns in his debut game against the Chicago Bears. He was the league MVP in 1975, was named to the Pro Bowl nine times, and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Four fellow Hall of Famers were selected before him, but 28 players being picked before Tarkenton is surprising to look back on. However, the Vikings have to be happy the dynamic quarterback landed in their laps.
It is hard to imagine a history where Minnesota didn’t select Fran Tarkenton to lead their team into the future but it was definitely a possibility when many teams passed on him for less productive players.