Vikings Draft: Every Player Minnesota Has Selected with the 11th Overall Pick
Josh Frey
|
As things currently stand, many folks in NFL circles believe that the Minnesota Vikings are a prime candidate to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft to select a quarterback.
However, for now, the Vikings have yet to make such a trade up the board, and they hold the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the first round of this spring’s draft. Today, we’ll be taking a dive into Vikings drafts of the past to see what kind of success the franchise has had picking in that spot.
Vikings Draft History at 11th Overall
1995: DE Derrick Alexander
The first time that the Vikings held the No. 11 overall pick occurred 29 years ago back in 1995. With that selection, they opted to take pass rusher Derrick Alexander out of Florida State, one pick before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected eventual Hall of Famer Warren Sapp. Alexander spent four seasons with the Vikings, and in total, he appeared in 57 games while starting 51 of those games.
Alexander compiled 175 tackles, 17.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles in a Vikings uniform, including a career-high 7.5 sacks during Minnesota’s 1998 season and run to the NFC Championship Game. He started both playoff games during that ’98 season and totaled six tackles.
The pass rusher would play just one more season in the NFL, signing with the Cleveland Browns in 1999 and starting all 16 games with 2.5 sacks. He would go on to retire and spend some time in Cleveland’s front office during the early 2000s.
1999: QB Daunte Culpepper
The Vikings didn’t have to wait very long before they got another chance at taking a prospect with the 11th overall pick. In 1999, Minnesota watched three QBs fly off the board with the first three selections during the draft before trading up and selecting Daunte Culpepper at No. 11.
Culpepper spent his rookie season behind Randall Cunningham and Jeff George before taking over the starting job in 2000. Immediately, he made a Pro Bowl and led the NFL in touchdown passes (33) and led the Vikings to an NFC Central crown and a run to the NFC Championship Game.
Of course, the quarterback would spend seven seasons in Minnesota before injuries got the better of him. In total, Culpepper threw for 20,162 yards, 135 TDs, and 86 INTs while adding 2476 rushing yards and 29 TDs on the ground. Perhaps the Vikings will find themselves in a similar situation this spring, and hopefully, they can find an equally productive QB without the devastating knee injury.
2015: CB Trae Waynes
16 years after the Vikings selected Culpepper, they found themselves with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and one pick after the St. Louis Rams landed Todd Gurley, Minnesota selected CB Trae Waynes to solidify their secondary.
Waynes would spend his rookie season as a rotational player before taking on a larger role in the defense during 2016 and solidifying himself into the starting lineup in 2017. During that 2017 season and run to the NFC Championship Game, Waynes put together 65 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, 11 passes defended, and two interceptions.
In total, the cornerback spent five seasons in Minnesota, and after his stint with the Vikings concluded, injuries got the better of Waynes. He would not play a single game in 2020, and he appeared in just five games for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 before calling it quits on his NFL career.
Overall, the Vikings have found some decent success when making a pick at No. 11 in the NFL Draft. Could 2024 bring more of the same?
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
Vikings Rivals Cut Ties with Starting CB
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.