ESPN: 50 biggest draft steals of last decade

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

That's an impressive list considering the number of premium picks that RS traded for Day 3 lottery tickets.

Rick was very good at drafting.  I am hoping Kwesi can start to approach Spelly's success.  So far, not looking great but still early.  I hope we see Addison practice 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

@"wiviking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

But acquiring those picks was his own doing. That is kind of like saying: In fairness, Brady should have won so many superbowls, because what other quarterback was in so many superbowls?

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"wiviking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

But acquiring those picks was his own doing. That is kind of like saying: In fairness, Brady should have won so many superbowls, because what other quarterback was in so many superbowls?

point is,  how many other GMs were around for that entire time period that is being examined?  Rick had that full 10 years,  many other teams went through multiple GMS in that same time frame so yes,  Rick may have "earned" some of those extra picks,  but the patience of the Wilfs is also at play here.

If you look at the draft objectively--in other words in context with how the rest of the league has drafted over the same time period, you just can't say that Rick was a bad drafter. He was unquestionably one of the better drafting GMs in the NFL. Free agency maybe a little less so. Trading less so as well. 

What got him fired, though, was letting the team get out of control with Mike Zimmer. Near the end, they were not even communicating. That's bad management. Both things can be true. 

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"wiviking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

But acquiring those picks was his own doing. That is kind of like saying: In fairness, Brady should have won so many superbowls, because what other quarterback was in so many superbowls?

point is,  how many other GMs were around for that entire time period that is being examined?  Rick had that full 10 years,  many other teams went through multiple GMS in that same time frame so yes,  Rick may have "earned" some of those extra picks,  but the patience of the Wilfs is also at play here.

The Vikings won 132 games and played in 9 playoff games in his tenure as GM. He doesn't need to apologize for winning games and staying employed. His winning games was a bigger factor in finding those draft steals then the Wilfs patience in retaining his services as GM. He found more players on that list then teams who turned over their GM position multiple times. Sure there were a few big misses in there (Ponder, Treadwell, Hughes, Gladney) but look at the talent acquired since he became the defacto GM in 2006;

Chad Greenway
Adrian Peterson
Percy Harvin
Harrison Smith
Xavier Rhodes
Anthony Barr

...and he went out with his last two first round picks being Jefferson and Darrisaw (in a trade down). 

The guy did his job supplying this roster with talent. That is the #1 job of a general manager. Considering the turnover rate of NFL front offices, and the amount of total misses by most GM's...Rick did a great job here overall. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"wiviking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

But acquiring those picks was his own doing. That is kind of like saying: In fairness, Brady should have won so many superbowls, because what other quarterback was in so many superbowls?

point is,  how many other GMs were around for that entire time period that is being examined?  Rick had that full 10 years,  many other teams went through multiple GMS in that same time frame so yes,  Rick may have "earned" some of those extra picks,  but the patience of the Wilfs is also at play here.

The Vikings won 132 games and played in 9 playoff games in his tenure as GM. He doesn't need to apologize for winning games and staying employed. His winning games was a bigger factor in finding those draft steals then the Wilfs patience in retaining his services as GM. He found more players on that list then teams who turned over their GM position multiple times. Sure there were a few big misses in there (Ponder, Treadwell, Hughes, Gladney) but look at the talent acquired since he became the defacto GM in 2006;

Chad Greenway
Adrian Peterson
Percy Harvin
Harrison Smith
Xavier Rhodes
Anthony Barr

...and he went out with his last two first round picks being Jefferson and Darrisaw (in a trade down). 

The guy did his job supplying this roster with talent. That is the #1 job of a general manager. Considering the turnover rate of NFL front offices, and the amount of total misses by most GM's...Rick did a great job here overall. 

who is saying anything about him apologizing its a simple numbers game,  he was here longer than most GMs and as such had more shots at finding those mid round steals.  its not like he was some sort of draft savant that was head and shoulders above his peers,  he did a nice job at the draft,  but also had his shortcomings,  but if you give most people the resources and knowledge he had at his disposal and and decade to do it in,  they will likely find a few steals as well.

or all heil Trader Rick,  whichever you want.  all those accolades and the team still doesnt have shit to show for it,  his successes dont outweigh the fact that he never found,  or even committed to finding a franchise QB,  and only paid attention to OL when it became grossly apparent that his job was going to depend on it.  in an offense first, pass first league,  he was drafting defense and running backs.  In the end he made some good moves,  but it was the moves he didnt make that will make him a non story in the Vikings history books.

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"wiviking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

But acquiring those picks was his own doing. That is kind of like saying: In fairness, Brady should have won so many superbowls, because what other quarterback was in so many superbowls?

point is,  how many other GMs were around for that entire time period that is being examined?  Rick had that full 10 years,  many other teams went through multiple GMS in that same time frame so yes,  Rick may have "earned" some of those extra picks,  but the patience of the Wilfs is also at play here.

The Vikings won 132 games and played in 9 playoff games in his tenure as GM. He doesn't need to apologize for winning games and staying employed. His winning games was a bigger factor in finding those draft steals then the Wilfs patience in retaining his services as GM. He found more players on that list then teams who turned over their GM position multiple times. Sure there were a few big misses in there (Ponder, Treadwell, Hughes, Gladney) but look at the talent acquired since he became the defacto GM in 2006;

Chad Greenway
Adrian Peterson
Percy Harvin
Harrison Smith
Xavier Rhodes
Anthony Barr

...and he went out with his last two first round picks being Jefferson and Darrisaw (in a trade down). 

The guy did his job supplying this roster with talent. That is the #1 job of a general manager. Considering the turnover rate of NFL front offices, and the amount of total misses by most GM's...Rick did a great job here overall. 

who is saying anything about him apologizing its a simple numbers game,  he was here longer than most GMs and as such had more shots at finding those mid round steals.  its not like he was some sort of draft savant that was head and shoulders above his peers,  he did a nice job at the draft,  but also had his shortcomings,  but if you give most people the resources and knowledge he had at his disposal and and decade to do it in,  they will likely find a few steals as well.

or all heil Trader Rick,  whichever you want.  all those accolades and the team still doesnt have shit to show for it,  his successes dont outweigh the fact that he never found,  or even committed to finding a franchise QB,  and only paid attention to OL when it became grossly apparent that his job was going to depend on it.  in an offense first, pass first league,  he was drafting defense and running backs.  In the end he made some good moves,  but it was the moves he didnt make that will make him a non story in the Vikings history books.

Your argument is he only found those draft day steals because he had a prolonged tenure as GM and extra swings at it. I'm saying he was deserving of those extra swings because we were winning games, winning the division every other year, and he drafted some of the greatest players in team history. There's no such thing as a "drafting savant" in the GM game, and they all have misses. Even the great Bill Polian, who I consider the godfather, had some ugly drafts in Carolina and Indy. But overall the job of the GM is to supply the roster with enough talent to compete for a championship. Rick did that and we had a window, Cousins was supposed to be the missing piece and it never materialized as Zimmer imploded. I certainly had disagreements on some moves he made but the overall body of work was very good. I don't believe he should have been fired but then again I don't believe the owners know what they are doing either when it comes to football

@"greediron" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"wiviking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said: It's a premium article, but ESPN just released a list of the 50 biggest draft steals of the last decade. The rules were they had to be taken AFTER the first round (no 1st round picks), 2023 not eligible, and the player had to be taken at least 15 selections later then they should have been. Of that list, the Vikings garnered four selections;

7. Stefon Diggs
30. Danielle Hunter
35. Dalvin Cook
49. Brian O’Neill 

I think we could safely say Jefferson would probably be #1 overall on that list if they included first round picks and Darrisaw would also be on there somewhere. Not bad for GM who was fired for the head coach turning into an asshole. 

in fairness,  in the NFL, how many GMs had nearly as many picks as the Rickster in the last decade?   GMs are like coaches and teams tend to swap both out at about the same rate when things arent going well.

But acquiring those picks was his own doing. That is kind of like saying: In fairness, Brady should have won so many superbowls, because what other quarterback was in so many superbowls?

point is,  how many other GMs were around for that entire time period that is being examined?  Rick had that full 10 years,  many other teams went through multiple GMS in that same time frame so yes,  Rick may have "earned" some of those extra picks,  but the patience of the Wilfs is also at play here.

The Vikings won 132 games and played in 9 playoff games in his tenure as GM. He doesn't need to apologize for winning games and staying employed. His winning games was a bigger factor in finding those draft steals then the Wilfs patience in retaining his services as GM. He found more players on that list then teams who turned over their GM position multiple times. Sure there were a few big misses in there (Ponder, Treadwell, Hughes, Gladney) but look at the talent acquired since he became the defacto GM in 2006;

Chad Greenway
Adrian Peterson
Percy Harvin
Harrison Smith
Xavier Rhodes
Anthony Barr

...and he went out with his last two first round picks being Jefferson and Darrisaw (in a trade down). 

The guy did his job supplying this roster with talent. That is the #1 job of a general manager. Considering the turnover rate of NFL front offices, and the amount of total misses by most GM's...Rick did a great job here overall. 

Yeah, it is kinda funny claiming Rick only had picks cuz Rick sucked, or that Rick only had picks cuz he traded away all his good picks.  Rick was a great manipulator of draft picks.  He moved well, dropped when he saw value and usually came out with a steal.  This article attests to that.  

Rick really struggled and ultimately was fired because he couldn't draft a QB (or wouldn't draft a QB once he thought he had his guy) and because he sucked at drafting offensive lineman.  Cousins could have been the answer, but the line really affected his play (insert cousins hating dog whistle here).  Who knows, maybe because if we had a good OC, they got hired as a HC the following season.  Maybe because Sparano died and left the Oline room in disarray.  Maybe because Zim was a defensive coach and couldn't figure out the offensive side.

Lots of excuses, but ultimately it was the lack of QB play that doomed him.  We ended up paying for Cousins and I think that was the beginning of the end for Rick and Zim.

What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

@"AGRforever" said: What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

@"AGRforever" said: What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

@"JimmyinSD" said: it

@"AGRforever" said: What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

Because it wasn't about rhe teams success,  the OP made it about Rick as a GM,  I was simply saying that any GM that was good or lucky enough to have 10 years worth of picks,  especially one that was notorious for trading down or out of the first round to accumulate more mid round picks,   should have more than his share on that list considering many teams had multiple GMs over that time frame.   Rick had more picks so he should have more than AVG hits,  he had more picks so he should have more than Avg misses as well,  it was simply a numbers thing and that was his strategy.

@"AGRforever" said: What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

Rick S had some trade-downs over the years that I wasn't comfortable with but his drafting overall was good. 

RS had two big problems over his tenure:

1). He was in a division with Rogers in his prime and with a good surround
2). I strongly suspect his major accountabilities as a GM transcended drafting. We're talking culture, morale, team leadership etc. 

This is where he fell short and it cost him one of the 32 gm jobs in the league. I have no doubt that level of team dysfunction cost them some wins on the field too. 

@"AGRforever" said: What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"AGRforever" said: What difference does it make how long Rick was employed?  This is of the last decade. It wouldn’t matter if a team had 10 GMs over those 10 years. 

Evenly split, each team should have had 1.56 players make the list. The fact the Vikings had 4 is quite impressive. 

I agree...

Rick S had some trade-downs over the years that I wasn't comfortable with but his drafting overall was good. 

RS had two big problems over his tenure:

1). He was in a division with Rogers in his prime and with a good surround
2). I strongly suspect his major accountabilities as a GM transcended drafting. We're talking culture, morale, team leadership etc. 

This is where he fell short and it cost him one of the 32 gm jobs in the league. I have no doubt that level of team dysfunction cost them some wins on the field too. 

@"AGRforever" said:

In fairness, I dont recall any trade downs for any of those 4 picks. 

. 

Actually in 2015 we got Hunter and Diggs with a total of 3 tradedowns. We traded from our original pick at 73 down to 80 then down to 88 and drafted Hunter. PT was going ballistic. For Diggs, we started with the 1st pick of the 5th round (Cassel trade to Bufffalo) and traded 9 slots down with Atlanta. They took Grady Jarrett, we took Diggs. I'd call that trade a win/win for us and the Falcons.
OTOH, we traded up for Dalvin. Despite his reputation, he didn't just always trade down for the hell of it.

IMHO, what spelled the end for Rick was a combination of things:

1. from 2015-2020, spending 3 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd on CB and having only Dantzler left by 2021. That's a lot of  whiffing at one position.

2. Ignoring the OL for too long. The Vikings didn't draft an OL before the 3rd round from 2010-2017.
3. Zimmer's reaction to the Cousins signing. Zimmer didn't want KC, and when RS signed him anyway, Zimmer took it out on Cousins. This started the RS/Zimmer rift which widened until they both fell into it and got canned.