The Vikings’ Best Possible Team Using Players from 2000 Onward
Assemble the Vikings’ best possible team using players who were employed by Minnesota from 2000 onward. That’s the task.
Good chance that you’ve seen one or two of these lists since 2025 provides a pretty satisfying moment to conduct the exercise. On The Athletic, for instance, there’s a consideration of the top 25 college football programs since 2000. Other publications are surely offering similar exercises.
Across the past 25 years, the Vikings are similar to several sports teams insofar as they’ve had some high-end talent, players who have solidified themselves as both franchise greats and, indeed, greats for the sport more broadly. What happens when we intentionally seek to pluck out the best possible players for a true super team?
Before beginning to answer that question, consider some housekeeping.
Only offense and defense are considered (sorry, Marcus Sherels and Cordarrelle Patterson; they would have been the returners. Wait, what about Percy Harvin?). Also, the players who get chosen are ones who shined while wearing purple. Greg Jennings doesn’t get a boost due to playing strong football in Green Bay; neither does Stephon Gilmore see his Defensive Player of the Year Award as a Patriot factor into the mix.
A guiding filter: every other NFL team gets to do the same exercise and then compete for the Super Bowl in 2025; how can I best position the Vikings to win it all?
With all that said, go ahead and see the team that’s been assembled.
The Vikings’ Best Possible Team from 2000-2025
Offense
| LT: Bryant McKinnie | LG: Steve Hutchinson | C: Matt Birk | RG: Joe Berger | RT: Brian O’Neill |
| QB: Brett Favre | ||||
| RB: Adrian Peterson | ||||
| WR: Justin Jefferson | TE: Jim Kleinsasser | WR: Stefon Diggs | WR: Randy Moss |
Commentary: First, the glaring issue: who is going to pass the ball? Not Kirk Cousins.
The debate really comes down to the brilliant ’09 season from Brett Favre versus Daunte Culpepper, someone who put together some wonderful seasons for the Vikings (while having the benefit of having played for Minnesota for longer). I’ll give the edge to Favre simply because he got the Vikings so close to getting to the Super Bowl.
The skill is second to none. Trying to slow down all of Jefferson, Diggs, and Moss — all of whom were Vikings draft picks — feels like an impossible ask. Making matters even worse is that Adrian Peterson would run all over a defensive front that only has six or seven players.
Some debate certainly could be had a tight end. All of Jim Kleinsasser, Kyle Rudolph, and T.J. Hockenson have a claim on the lonely spot. I’ll role with Kleinsasser, though, as someone who was quite versatile and supremely rugged, a tremendous complement to the roster that oozes skill.
Finally, the offensive line looks very good, but not as formidable as the other spots. The weak spot is likely at right guard where Berger is slotting in (should it have been Anthony Herrera? Brandon Fusco? Ezra Cleveland?). Christian Darrisaw has a claim on being the most talented lineman that Minnesota has had since 2000 but he still has more to prove before taking over Mr. McKinnie’s spot. Is Brian O’Neill the team’s top right tackle since 2000?
Defense
| DE: Jared Allen | DT: Kevin Williams | DT: Pat Williams | DE: Danielle Hunter | |
| LB: Eric Kendricks | LB: Chad Greenway | |||
| CB: Xavier Rhodes | S: Harrison Smith | S: Anthony Harris | CB: Byron Murphy Jr. | CB: Antoine Winfield Sr. |
Commentary: Admittedly, Andrew Van Ginkel was tempting. He is, after all, a tremendous defender and genuinely among the most fun players to watch in the NFL since he’s capable of doing so much so well. Hard to take anyone off that front four, though.
All of Allen, Williams X2, and Hunter have more than earned their spots. Linval Joseph and Everson Griffen were given consideration.
At linebacker, Eric Kendricks was an easy call. He made the game look so effortless when he was in his prime, a sure sign that he put in tremendous effort to perfect his craft. Indeed, his athletic gifts had to have been partnered with high-level intelligence alongside plenty of work grinding through film, allowing him to make plays aplenty.
Tossing Greenway alongside Kendricks forms a strong tandem, one capable of operating within a modern NFL that demands that linebackers be more than just down-the-hill thumpers.
On the back end, Harrison Smith was a very easy call. With no exaggeration, The Hitman is among the greatest Vikings draft picks in franchise history. Surrounding him with a prime version of Rhodes and Winfield is pretty imposing. Plenty of receivers would be intimidated (a reasonable way to feel).
The secondary still has a pair of open slots, though, and filling them wasn’t as straightforward. The other safety spot is being given to Anthony Harris, someone who offered Minnesota excellent football, if only for a short time.
Finally, the move was for Mr. Murphy. He’s a versatile guy, someone capable of offering strong play even if he isn’t elite in the same way that the others are.
Editor’s Note: Swing back around on Sunday to see a commentary on the “Vikings’ Best Team Since 2000” from a different Vikings writer. Major shout out to Pro Football Reference for helping me to remember forgotten Vikings players.
