The Minnesota Vikings have drafted seventy-four rookies in six drafts since Mike Zimmer was hired as team’s head coach on Jan. 15, 2014. Many others have auditioned (and sometimes contributed) as undrafted personnel.
In a retroactive analysis of past drafts, it’s vital to weigh sheer contribution to the team versus what was expected from the player from the onset (i.e. how much draft capital was spent). Players have often been coined as “steals” if selected in later rounds–as opposed to players who simply “play up” to their draft projection.
Five Vikings players since 2014 have particularly stood out.