(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The 25 biggest draft steals in Vikings history (Nos. 16-20)
High-impact linemen on both sides of the ball fill several spots on this portion of the list, including a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
April 25, 2017 at 4:23PM
This week, I'll be counting down the 25 biggest draft "steals" in Vikings history. This list encompasses several different eras of the draft and goes all the way back to the Vikings' first draft in 1961. Undrafted free agents weren't considered (sorry, John Randle).
The list continues with Nos. 16-20:
20. Randall McDaniel (first round, 19th overall, 1988): In a draft class that ended up producing five Hall of Famers, McDaniel was probably the best of the bunch. The left guard made 220 career starts — 188 for the Vikings — and anchored some very good offensive lines. He made seven All-Pro teams and 12 Pro Bowls. Any first-round pick has the potential to be great, but this level of production was certainly a steal for the Vikings.
19. Ray Edwards (fourth round, 2006): The first of three pass rushers on this list to have a big impact as a fourth-round pick, Edwards was a solid player for the Vikings in the latter part of 2000s. His best season was probably 2009, when he had 8.5 sacks from his defensive end spot.
18. Stefon Diggs (fifth round, 2015): Diggs cooled off as the Vikings did in 2016, but the second-year wide receiver still finished the season with 84 catches and continued to emerge as a legitimate offensive threat. Like Danielle Hunter (No. 21 on this list), Diggs could be much higher if we do a new version in 5-10 years.
17. Henry Thomas (third round, 1987): Thomas was a mainstay on some of the earliest Vikings teams I really remember watching. As a defensive tackle who could rush the passer (93.5 career sacks, including 56 in his eight seasons with the Vikings) and also held up really well against the run, Thomas was invaluable. He might have been overshadowed on some great defenses by the likes of Chris Doleman and Keith Millard, but if you plopped a modern day Thomas next to Linval Joseph right now, the Vikings' front four next season would be off the charts.
16. Tim Irwin (third round, 1981): Irwin took over as the starting right tackle in the middle of the 1982 season and didn't miss a start for the rest of his Vikings career through 1993 — a span of almost 200 games. That kind of dependability and toughness is a gift to coaches and made him a Vikings fan favorite. I don't know how much the Vikings would be willing to pay for a modern version of Irwin, but I'd venture to say it's a lot.
John Wintermute, a three-year letter winner, helped the Gophers earn a share of the 1967 Big Ten title.
