Rick Spielman and his staff have always been aggressive on NFL Draft day.
They’ve traded around and have even moved back into the first-round, like they did in 2014 when they drafted quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Over the last five years no other team in the NFL has been more productive on draft day than the Vikings, according to Brett Smiley at Fox Sports.
Here are the criteria he used: Teams scored 5 points for a Pro Bowl player (when the nomination occurred), 3 points for a 2016 starter and 1 point for a 2016 rostered player (IR counts). Additional Pro Bowl nods earned an extra point and players traded or lost for value (trades or compensatory picks) yield a point, too.
So why are the Vikings No. 1?
The biggest reason for the top spot is that Minnesota has sent seven players to the Pro Bowl over the last five years.
- T Matt Kalil
- S Harrison Smith
- K Blair Walsh
- CB Xavier Rhodes
- KR/WR Cordarrelle Patterson
- QB Teddy Bridgewater
- LB Anthony Barr
Smiley notes that even if you take away Kalil, Walsh and Bridgewater the team is still left with four players who are among the league’s best at their respective position.
However he also mentions that it’s important for the Vikings’ offense to undergo a makeover. So it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Minnesota draft an offensive player in the first round next April.
Rounding out the top five were: the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams.
The NFL Draft is set for April 26.
