A Look Back At Viking Drafts – 2011
Zeke Warren-Weigmann
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With the Super Bowl now officially having been over a month ago, we can sadly say that we are now fully immersed in the time of year characterized by its lack of professional football. While we might be able to fill that void with FCS play and the new Fan Controlled Football League, neither options hit nearly as hard as the NFL.
For now, our only options are to look forward to the draft, and in that spirit, I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at Minnesota’s last ten drafts, to really see how our team’s draft selections have panned out. That being said, let’s start with 2011.
Round 1, Pick #12 – Quarterback, Christian Ponder (Florida State)
The 2011 draft class is known mostly for its absurdly stacked first round, with an unprecedented 16 of the 32 players selected making a Pro Bowl at some point in their career. Surprisingly enough however, that number only includes one quarterback, with former NFL MVP and number one overall pick Cam Newton being the only signal caller to ever get the nod. Pretty much, as long as you didn’t reach for a QB, you had a good chance of landing a future star.
Unfortunately, the Vikings were one of those teams that went for a quarterback, using their first round pick on former Florida State QB Christian Ponder. Ponder never became the franchise player that Minnesota hoped he would be, amassing a record of just 14-21-1 over four seasons and 36 starts under center.
The Vikings chose not to pick up the fifth year option of Ponder’s rookie deal, and he signed with the then Oakland Raiders in March of 2015 as an unrestricted free agent. Ponder never made it to the Raiders’ active roster, bouncing from Oakland to Denver in 2015, and then from Denver to San Francisco 2016. Ponder has been out of football since the end of the 2016 season.
Who they could have had – DE Robert Quinn (Pick #14 to the St. Louis Rams), C Mike Pouncey (Pick #15 to the Miami Dolphins), DE Ryan Kerrigan (Pick #16 to the then Washington Redskins).
Round 2, Pick #43 – Tight End, Kyle Rudolph (Notre Dame)
By far the best pick of the draft for the Purple and Gold, Kyle Rudoplh became a staple of Minnesota’s offense for the next decade. Appearing in 140 games over ten seasons for the Vikings, Rudolph’s 4,448 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns of 453 receptions netted him two pro bowl nods in both 2012 and 2017. Unfortunately, Rudolph became a cap casualty in the 2021 offseason and was released by the Vikings on March 2nd. He is currently a free agent.
Who they could have had – OG Rodney Hudson (Pick #55 to the Kansas City Chiefs), WR Randall Cobb (Pick #64 to the Green Bay Packers), RB DeMarco Murray (Pick #71 to the Dallas Cowboys)
Round 4, Pick #106 – Defensive Tackle, Christian Ballard (Iowa)
Ballard was a major miss for Minnesota’s front office. Despite appearing in all 16 games in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Ballard amassed only 29 total tackles and one sack. In August of 2013, then head coach Leslie Frazier announced that Ballard would be taking time off from the team to deal with personal issues. Ballard never appeared in another game for the Vikings, and has been out of football since leaving the team in 2013.
Who they could have had – TE Julius Thomas (Pick #129 to the Denver Broncos), FB Anthony Sherman (Pick #136 to the Arizona Cardinals)
Round 5, Pick #139 – Cornerback, Brandon Burton (Utah)
As we get into the later in the draft, we can generally expect more misses than hits. Burton was definitely one these misses. Appearing in only 14 games over two seasons. Burton ended his Vikings career with just 14 tackles and one pass defense. Following brief stints with the Bills, Bengals, and Colts, Burton was out of the NFL by 2014. While he did make a brief return to football in 2019 as the DB coach for the Arizona Hotshots of the AAF (Alliance of American Football), Burton was once again out of football once that league went under.
Who they could have had – CB Richard Sherman (Pick #154 to the Seattle Seahawks)
Round 6, Pick #168 – Offensive Lineman, DeMarcus Love (Arkansas)
Yet another disappointment, Love lasted only two seasons in Minnesota never appearing in a game for the purple and gold. Following a brief stint in Jacksonville, as well as time on the practice squads of the Giants, Saints, Broncos, and Falcons, Love was out of football by 2015.
Who they could have had – K Dan Bailey (Undrafted, Dallas Cowboys), CB Chris Harris Jr. (Undrafted, Denver Broncos)
Round 6, Pick #170 – Defensive Back, Mistral Raymond (South Florida)
Raymond appeared in 32 games for the Vikings, starting 10 of them. Over his three year career in Minnesota, Raymond racked up 53 tackles, six pass defenses, and one interception. He was released following the 2013 season, and has been out of football since.
Who they could have had – LB Nick Bellore (Undrafted, New York Jets)
Round 6, Pick #172 – Offensive Lineman, Brandon Fusco (Slippery Rock)
Fusco became a staple of Minnesota’s offensive line for the five years following his draft selection. From 2011-2016, Fusco appeared in 67 games at both left and right guard for the Vikings, starting 64 of them. Despite signing a five-year, $25 million contract extension in 2014, Fusco was released by the team following the 2016 season. After brief stints with both the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons, ending with him being cut by the Falcons in April of 2019 after failing a physical, Fusco found himself out of the NFL.
Who they could have had – WR Dwayne Harris (Pick #176 to the Dallas Cowboys), QB Tyrod Taylor (Pick #180 to the Baltimore Ravens), C Jason Kelce (Pick #191 to the Philadelphia Eagles)
Round 6, Pick #200 – Linebacker, Ross Homan (Ohio State)
Homan never made it onto the Vikings’ roster, being cut from the team in September of 2011. He retired in 2011 following a brief stint on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad.
Who they could have had – FB Patrick Dimarco (Undrafted, San Diego Chargers)
Round 7, Pick #215 – Defensive End, D’Aundre Reed (Arizona)
Reed appeared in six games for the Vikings in the 2012 season. He was cut by the team in August of 2013, after which time he bounced around football, spending time with the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, and the Los Angeles Kiss of the Arena Football League. He has been out of football since 2014.
Who they could have had – WR Doug Baldwin (Undrafted, Seattle Seahawks)
Round 7, #236 – Wide Receiver, Stephen Burton (West Texas A&M)
Burton appeared in 15 games over two seasons for the Vikings, totalling seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. He was cut by the team in August of 2013, and was claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but retired in April of 2014 due to concussion concerns. In 2015, Burton unretired and signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. In 2017, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but was suspended in May of 2017, after which his contract was allowed to expire.
Who they could have had – LS Jacob McQuaide (Undrafted, St. Louis Rams)