Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft history shines in prestigious rankings with Justin Jefferson and Randy Moss leading the way

Despite the struggles that current Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had when it comes to the NFL Draft, they have done a great job drafting over the course of their history. In fact, their success is one of the main reason why the Vikings have been incredibly successful, despite having never won a Super Bowl title.

What's really interesting here is the project that ESPN's Benjamin Solak recently completed in naming the best draft pick at each slot in NFL history. There are some interesting debates at certain spots, including 14 Hall of Famers having been selected at first overall.

The Vikings were one of the top teams in the NFL with a whopping 13 players on the list. Let's take a look.

7. Adrian Peterson, RB (2007)

The last non-quarterback to win the MVP award, Peterson led the league in rushing yardage three times in his career: 2008, 2012 and 2015. That's a testament to both his excellence -- the next most recent players with at least three seasons of league-leading production are Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith -- and his longevity. Three times over an eight-year span!

"All Day" was my pick over Champ Bailey, but watch out for Josh Allen. He and Peterson have the same number of MVP trophies and Super Bowl appearances ... for now.

I'm a little surprised that Peterson got this over Bailey, who was an elite level cornerback for over a decade. However, Peterson dragged a Vikings team kicking and screaming to the playoffs, a season that is arguably the most legendary in the history of the franchise.

15. Alan Page, DT (1967)

The lone Hall of Famer selected with the 15th pick and our oldest player in Round 1, Page rocks. He was the only defensive player to win MVP besides Lawrence Taylor, and he did it before him. He went to Notre Dame and the University of Minnesota after retirement, got his law degree and became an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. This shouldn't really matter in the "best draft pick" debate, but it makes it an even more fun pick.

The Vikings have a storied history of taking top defensive linemen in the NFL Draft, and Page is arguably the best defensive lineman in the history of the franchise. He's also a grade A human being with his public service to the state of Minnesota.

21. Randy Moss, WR (1998)

Moss' dominance came not in the form of yardage (26th all time in receiving yards per game), but in scoring (his 156 TD receptions are second all time). He led the league in receiving touchdowns five times and set the single-season record with his 23 scores for the Patriots in 2007. He gets the bump for being an iconic, culture-defining player as well.

Moss is the best wide receiver in the history of the league, and it makes complete sense. Moss is arguably the best wide receiver to have ever played in the National Football League.

22. Justin Jefferson, WR (2020)

Thank goodness there were no Hall of Famers to snub with the 22nd pick, making Jefferson an even easier selection for me. Never forget that Jefferson holds the record for most receiving yards through two seasons of a player's career (3,016) -- as well as through three seasons (4,825), four seasons (5,899) and five seasons (7,432). Guess which record he'll hold at the end of this year?

Speaking of great wide receivers in the NFL, Jefferson is well on his way to being one of the best in the league. As Solak mentioned above, there isn't a Hall of Famer selected at that spot, making it a little bit easier to pick Jefferson.

39. Ed White, G (1969)

The hardest hairs to split in compiling this list were between two players whose best play predated my existence. Such was the case between White, who played 17 seasons for the Vikings and Chargers, and Darryl Talley, a Bills pass rusher who retired the year before I was born. White had a couple more Pro Bowl honors, so he gets the pick here.

White was a very solid player for the Vikings throughout his career from 1969-1977, and then with the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1985. He was so good for both franchises that he made multiple anniversary teams for each franchise.

100. Everson Griffen, DE (2010)

I really wanted to give this to Rocket Ismail just on the basis of how cool he was, but Griffen did make four Pro Bowls. You have to have journalistic standards in an exercise like this.

The Vikings hitting on players like Griffen, Danielle Hunter, and Brian Robison in the middle rounds created the near 20 year gap where the Vikings didn't take an edge rusher in the first round. Having a star like Griffen will do that, who was a dominant force for the Vikings, including being put on the field as a punt gunner early on in his career at over 265 lbs.