Last week, we saw the Minnesota Vikings make the difficult decision to release running back Dalvin Cook. In just six seasons, Cook easily established himself as one of the greatest running backs in Vikings history.
But where does he rank among the best to ever line up in Minnesota's offensive backfield? Spoiler alert, Cook is easily a top-15 running back in Vikings history. So, who are the other 14 running backs that deserve to be on this list?
Before we get into the full list, let's look at a pair of honorable mentions.
15 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Running Backs of All-Time
Honorable Mentions
Amp Lee (1994 - 1996)
Selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft, Amp Lee was a running back who was a bit before his time. Lee didn't have a ton of rushing production in his time with Minnesota, but he excelled as a receiver out of the backfield, catching at least 45 passes in all three of his seasons with the Vikings, including 71 in 1995.
Rickey Young (1978 - 1983)
The uncle of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, Rickey Young had himself a pretty solid career in the NFL. Like Amp Lee, Young was someone who excelled as a receiver out of the backfield. This was never more true than in 1978 when he led the NFL with 88 catches, which is still the most in a single season by a running back in Minnesota's franchise history.
Now, let's get into which 15 running backs deserve to be regarded as the greatest in Vikings history.
15. Leroy Hoard (1996 - 1999)
After spending his first six years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Leroy Hoard landed with the Minnesota Vikings in the middle of the 1996 season.
Brought in to help replace an injured Robert Smith, Hoard started the final six games of the 1996 campaign for Minnesota. He rushed for 420 yards and three touchdowns during this stretch that ultimately helped the Vikings clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Minnesota re-signed Hoard during the 1997 offseason, and he wound up spending the remaining three years of his NFL career in the Twin Cities.
At 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds, Hoard was never a running back who beat defenders with his speed, but he had no problem running over an opponent or two if he had to. The Vikings used his physical running style to their advantage, as 20 of his 27 rushing touchdowns happened on plays that began five yards or closer to the opposing goal line.
14. Michael Bennett (2001 - 2005)
After a surprise retirement by Robert Smith after the 2000 season, the Vikings found themselves in need of a new starting running back in 2001.
To help make up for the loss of Smith, Minnesota decided to use their first-round selection in the 2001 NFL Draft on former Wisconsin running back Michael Bennett. The Vikings fell in love with Bennett's elite speed (4.38-second 40-time), and they believed he could add another element to an offense that already featured Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper.
After a decent rookie season, Bennett exploded in 2002, as he gained 1,647 yards from scrimmage (1,296 rushing yards and 351 receiving yards) and scored six touchdowns. His performance that season resulted in the only Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Bennett remained in Minnesota for three more years until he signed with the New Orleans Saints during the 2006 offseason.
13. Jerick McKinnon (2014 - 2017)
Following the suspension of Adrian Peterson during the early part of the 2014 season, the Vikings were forced to utilize rookie Jerick McKinnon quicker than they likely anticipated. Luckily for Minnesota, McKinnon was able to provide solid production in the team's backfield, including a Week 4 performance against the Atlanta Falcons when he rushed for 135 yards.
His snaps took a dip in 2015 when Peterson returned, but in 2016 and 2017, McKinnon established himself as a great change-of-pace running back for the Vikings.
His play in 2017 was the most impressive, as he and Latavius Murray combined to help Minnesota finish with seventh-best rushing offense in the NFL despite losing Dalvin Cook in Week 4.
12. Herschel Walker (1989 - 1991)
Known more for being the centerpiece of one of the worst trades in NFL history, Herschel Walker's tenure with the Vikings actually wasn't as terrible as the actual transaction that landed him in Minnesota.
Coming off a 1988 season with the Dallas Cowboys, where he accumulated more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage, expectations were high for Walker when he joined the Vikings. Especially after his first game in a Minnesota uniform saw him rush for 148 yards during a win over the Green Bay Packers.
Did he live up to these lofty expectations? No, but based on the rest of his NFL career, his performance with the Vikings wasn't much different than his time with the other teams he had stints with during his time in the league.
11. Dave Osborn (1965 - 1975)
One of the longest-tenured running backs in Vikings history, Dave Osborn, was a fixture in the backfield during three of Minnesota's four trips to the Super Bowl.
Osborn's third season with the Vikings in 1967 is really where he began to emerge as a factor in the team's offense, as he rushed for 972 yards and two touchdowns in addition to catching 34 passes for 272 yards and another score. Unfortunately for Osborn, he was one of the few bright spots for Minnesota in 1967, as they ended up finishing with a 3-8-3 record.
After Chuck Foreman arrived in 1973, Osborn's role in the offense shrank a bit, and it ultimately led to him parting with the Vikings in 1976.
10. Terry Allen (1991 - 1994)
After a solid college career at Clemson, Terry Allen wound up getting selected by the Vikings in the ninth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. Allen began his tenure in Minnesota in 1991 by serving as Herschel Walker's backup, and along with the help of Darrin Nelson, the Vikings finished the season with the NFL's fourth-best rushing offense.
In 1992, Nelson primarily focused on returning kicks, and Walker left to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. So that left Allen with the role of Minnesota's starting running back. He saw a significant increase in his snaps, and he definitely took advantage of them.
In his first season as a starter, Allen rushed for 1,201 yards and 13 touchdowns in addition to catching 49 passes for 478 yards and a pair of scores. A knee injury kept him out of the entire 1992 campaign, but he returned in 1993 and put together another season with more than 1,000 rushing yards.
9. Chester Taylor (2006 - 2009)
After four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Chester Taylor signed with the Vikings in 2006 to take advantage of his first chance to be a full-time starting running back in the NFL.
Taylor made the most of his opportunity in 2006 as he finished ninth in the league in rushing with 1,216 yards to go along with 42 catches for 288 yards and six total touchdowns.
Despite his performance in 2006, Taylor was relegated to more of a backup role in his second season with Minnesota after they decided to select former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson with their first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Even with his demotion, Taylor was still an important piece of the Vikings' offense during his tenure with the franchise, especially in 2009 when he helped Minnesota earn a spot in the NFC Championship.
8. Darrin Nelson (1982 - 1992)
After a disappointing 1981 season in which they finished fourth in their division with a 7-9 record, the Vikings headed into the 1982 NFL Draft with the No. 7 overall pick.
With their selection, Minnesota decided to pass on former USC running back and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen in favor of Darrin Nelson, who had an outstanding college career at Stanford under head coach Bill Walsh.
Nelson's rookie year with the Vikings wasn't much to talk about, thanks to a strike-shortened season. But after that, he eventually established himself as a reliable dual-threat as a rusher and a receiver out of the backfield in Minnesota's offense.
Midway through the 1989 season, Nelson wound up being included in the trade with the Dallas Cowboys that resulted in the Vikings acquiring running back Herschel Walker.
Nelson didn't even play a single down for the Cowboys, and after a brief stint with the San Diego Chargers, he ended up back with Minnesota in 1991 for the final two seasons of his NFL career.
7. Ted Brown (1979 - 1986)
After injuries caused the unfortunate end to Chuck Foreman's dominance, the Vikings were in need of a new dynamic running back for their offense. To fill this role, Minnesota went ahead and used their first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft on former North Carolina State running back Ted Brown.
Brown had a decent rookie year in 1979, but his second and third seasons with the Vikings were really when he began to make a name for himself.
In both 1980 and 1981, Brown accumulated more than 1,530 yards from scrimmage while hauling in at least 60 passes. During this two-season stretch, he also scored a total of 18 touchdowns.
Brown spent all eight of his years in the NFL with Minnesota, and he still holds the franchise's record for career receptions by a running back. His 53 career touchdowns are also the fourth-most in Vikings history by a running back.
6. Bill Brown (1962 - 1974)
When it comes to great running backs in Vikings history, Bill Brown was certainly one of the first. Minnesota wasn't very good during its first few seasons of existence (established in 1961), but Brown was one of the few bright spots.
He actually began his NFL career with the Chicago Bears in 1961, and then he was eventually traded to the Vikings in 1962.
Brown's performance in 1964 is where he really began to shine for Minnesota. He rushed for 866 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to catching 48 passes for 703 yards and another nine scores. His play in 1964 resulted in the first of his four career Pro Bowl selections.
Brown remained the top guy in the Vikings' backfield until around 1970, when his usage took a dip. Eventually, Chuck Foreman took over the top spot on Minnesota's running back depth chart, and Brown's time with the team came to a close after the 1974 season.
Among every running back to play a snap for the Vikings, Brown ranks first in games played, second in rushing attempts, second in total touchdowns, fifth in rushing yards, and fourth in receptions.
5. Robert Smith (1993 - 2000)
Despite the fact that the Vikings selected him in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Robert Smith's career with Minnesota didn't look too promising during his first few seasons with the team.
But then came the 1997 campaign when he set new single-season career highs for starts (14), rushing attempts (232), rushing yards (1,266), catches (37), receiving yards (197), and total touchdowns (7).
Then, during his next three years with Minnesota (1998 to 2000), Smith continued to perform like one of the top running backs in the entire league, rushing for over 1,000 yards each season and helping the Vikings earn a pair of NFC Championship appearances.
Smith surprised everyone, however, when he retired after the 2000 season at the age of 28. When he hung up his cleats, he left as Minnesota's all-time leader in career rushing yards. He currently ranks second in Vikings history in career rushing yards after his total was passed by Adrian Peterson in 2012.
4. Tommy Mason (1961-1966)
With their first-ever draft pick in the history of the franchise, the Vikings decided to use their selection on an offensive playmaker in former Tulane running back Tommy Mason.
Mason's rookie season in Minnesota wasn't anything worth remembering, but the stretch from 1962 to 1964 was really where he lived up to his expectations as a first-round draft pick.
The tandem of Bill Brown and Mason helped the Vikings have one of the top rushing offenses in the league for multiple seasons. Unfortunately, Minnesota's success on the ground didn't translate to wins more often than not, as they missed the playoffs in each of Mason's six years with the franchise.
Mason's tenure with the Vikings was a bit short, but when he was on the field for Minnesota during his career, he made sure to make the most of his opportunities whenever he got the football in his hands.
3. Dalvin Cook (2017 - 2022)
If Mike Zimmer was still the head coach of the Vikings heading into the 2023 season, Dalvin Cook would likely still have a spot in the team's locker room. But Zimmer was fired in 2022, and Minnesota's new regime is one that doesn't believe in paying a high price for a running back. So, after six seasons, the Vikings decided to move on from Cook.
With Minnesota, his NFL career got off to a blazing fast start, as he rushed for 127 yards in his very first game with the franchise, and after his first three contests with the Vikings, he was on pace to finish his rookie season with more than 1,500 rushing yards.
Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended Cook's rookie campaign in Week 4, and he wasn't really back to his old self out on the field until 2019. Once he felt fully recovered, however, he got back to playing at a very high level.
From 2019 to 2022, Cook scored a total of 46 touchdowns, rushed for at least 1,100 yards in each season, and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
In an era in which elite running backs are not as common as they once were in the NFL, Cook could end up being one of the last guys to excel as a true three-down back who could do it all out on the field.
2. Chuck Foreman (1973 - 1979)
Before guys like Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson came along in the early part of the 21st century with their elite mixture of running and catching out of the backfield, Chuck Foreman was viewed as one of the most versatile running backs in NFL history.
Foreman entered the league in 1973 after he was selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. Unlike some of the other running backs on this list, he made an impact for the Vikings very quickly.
Foreman ended his rookie season with 1,163 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns, which resulted in his first-career Pro Bowl selection in addition to being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.
During the next four years (1974 - 1977), he scored a total of 60 touchdowns and averaged over 1,500 yards from scrimmage per season. Foreman was easily on the path to the Pro Bowl Football Hall of Fame after his first five years in Minnesota.
Unfortunately, injuries got the best of him, and his time with the Vikings came to an end after the 1979 season.
1. Adrian Peterson (2007 - 2016)
Were you expecting anyone else? Adrian Peterson is, without a doubt, the greatest running back to ever suit up for the Vikings. There is no debate to be had.
Like Chuck Foreman, Peterson didn't waste any time after he arrived in Minnesota, as he rushed for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns during his first season in the NFL. His outstanding performance in 2007 resulted in him being named that season's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
All Peterson did during his second year with the Vikings was lead the NFL in rushing yards with 1,760 and earn his first-career First-Team All-Pro selection.
His best season was obviously in 2012, when he was named the NFL MVP after he rushed for over 2,000 yards and helped lead Minnesota back to the playoffs.
Peterson's career with the Vikings ended after the 2016 season, and he left as the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards, rushing attempts, and rushing touchdowns.