6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
By Adam Carlson
John Sullivan, C – 2008 Round 6
Ten years after drafting Matt Birk in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings picked another center in the sixth round who went on to have an excellent career with the purple and gold.
Minnesota wasn’t in need of a center when selecting John Sullivan. They still had Birk through the 2008 season, but when a talented player falls into your lap late in the draft, it makes the decision to pick them an easy one.
Sullivan played well at Notre Dame but interior offensive linemen were severely devalued at the time and some quality players fell for that reason. But the Vikings got great value out of him, getting 93 starts out of 107 games played and taking over as the starter in 2009.
He may never have received Pro Bowl nods or All-Pro honors, but he provided a lot of stability for an offensive line that helped running back Adrian Peterson and a Minnesota Vikings run game succeed.