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Ranking 10 greatest Minnesota Vikings of all time

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Steve Silverman | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 12:40 PM ET

The Minnesota Vikings had four opportunities early in the Super Bowl era to win professional football’s championship. They failed in all four of those games — against the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Oakland Raiders — and have too often been close to making another appearance but painfully failing to reach it in the ensuing 49 years.

While Vikings fans have had to endure their own special brand of pain with six NFC Championship Game losses and 24 playoff teams in those 49 seasons, the team that has been playing in the NFL since the 1961 season has had its share of magnificent players. Here is a look at the 10 greatest Minnesota Vikings of all-time.

10. Justin Jefferson, WR

The only current Vikings player on this list, Justin Jefferson doesn’t figure to be this far down the list for long. In his five seasons, he simply has been the best wide receiver in the NFL and maybe had the best start to a career in NFL history.

Jefferson already has 495 receptions and 7,432 yards receiving, which is 149 receptions and more than 1,000 more than Jerry Rice, the unquestioned greatest receiver in NFL history, had in his first five seasons. And Jefferson started his career two years younger than Rice.

Jefferson has made the Pro Bowl in four seasons and First Team All-Pro twice and Second Team twice. His 2023 season was cut short due to injury, but he still managed more than 1,000 yards in just 10 games. He’s already fourth in Vikings history in receiving yards and will quickly move to third. He’s fifth in receptions and could move up to second with a healthy 2025.

Jefferson has three of the top four seasons in receiving yards in Vikings history, including a record 1,809 in 2022 when he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year. It was the sixth-most receiving yards in a season in NFL history. Jefferson also set the Vikings record with 128 receptions. His career average of 96.5 yards receiving per game is the all-time NFL record.

9. Paul Krause, FS

Paul Krause was one of the greatest players at his position throughout his run with the Vikings from 1968 through 1979. Krause spent the first four seasons of his career with Washington before he was traded to Minnesota.

Krause may have been the best ball hawk in NFL history. He intercepted 81 passes throughout his career, and that still stands as the NFL record. Krause played with intelligence and great instincts, as he appeared to be two or three steps ahead of opposing quarterbacks and head coaches. When it came to anticipating the next play, few players could compare with Krause.

He was named to six Pro Bowls and earned three First Team All-Pro selections and five Second Team selections during his time with the team.

8. Adrian Peterson, RB

Adrian “All Day” Peterson was one of the greatest ball carriers in NFL history. He combined speed, power, and elusiveness like few have ever done in the league. He wouldn’t be confused with a Walter Payton or a Marcus Allen as a great all-around back as AD was a poor blocker and didn’t have the greatest hands for receiving, but with the ball in his hands, he was nearly unstoppable.

With the Vikings from 2007 to 2016, Peterson was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was First Team All-Pro four times and Second Team three times. He also won Rookie of the Year in 2007 when he burst on the scene with 1,341 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.

AD led the NFL in rushing three times, including in 2012 when he became the seventh player in NFL history with a 2,000-yard rushing season. Two more running backs accomplished the feat since. Peterson finished the 2012 season with 2,097 yards and 12 TDs and was named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

Peterson is far and away the Vikings’ all-time leader in rushing yards (11,747) and rushing touchdowns (97). AD has seven of the Top 10 seasons in Vikings history in rushing yards, including the Top 2 with 1,760 yards in 2008 to go along with his MVP season.

7. Carl Eller

Defensive end Carl Eller was one of the key contributors to the development of the Vikings from expansion team to NFL powerhouse. His play as a pass rusher extraordinaire for the legendary Purple People Eaters put fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks throughout the NFL.

A draft choice from the University of Minnesota in 1964, Eller played with the Vikings from that season through 1978 before closing out his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 1979. Eller was brilliant against the run, and he was a dominant pass rusher.

He earned six Pro Bowl invitations and was a First Team All-Pro five times in his career. He was a key performer on all four of Minnesota’s Super Bowl teams.

In addition to his play on the field, he was a huge presence in the locker room. Eller was respected for dedication to his teammates and work ethic and played a key role in setting the tone for the Vikings defense.

6. Randy Moss, WR

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss (84) looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Vikings 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

No. 6 Randy Moss may have been the greatest of all Vikings wide receivers, and that’s a huge statement because they have had talented stars like Cris Carter, Sammy White, Ahmad Rashad, Gene Washington and Stefon Diggs. They also have Justin Jefferson as he approaches his peak years, and holding off that receiver could be an issue in the team’s all-time rankings.

But when it came to size, speed, hands, leaping and big-play ability, Moss ranks with the NFL’s all-time greatest performers. Moss was the team’s first-round selection from Marshall University in 1998, and he broke into the NFL as a gamebreaker. He caught 69 passes in his rookie season for 1,313 yards and a remarkable 17 TD receptions.

He was perhaps the most feared receiving weapon in the league from 1998 through 2004 because he won the battle for the ball on nearly every occasion. Moss finished his career ranking second in all-time receiving touchdowns with 156 to Jerry Rice’s 197. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

5. Randall McDaniel, G

Randall McDaniel ranks as the No. 5 all-time Vikings player while dominating from the offensive guard position. He ranks with John Hannah of the New England Patriots as the best ever to play the position.

McDaniel was a First Team All-Pro seven times and was also named to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. He combined athleticism, technique, and consistency to lead the Minnesota offensive line.

McDaniel was a brilliant technician who was able to execute complex blocking schemes in a flawless manner. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

4. Cris Carter, WR

Cris Carter ranks as the best receiver in Vikings history due to his longevity and consistent brilliance. He’s far and away the Vikings’ all-time receptions leader with 1,004, more than 400 ahead of Moss. Carter also is the Vikings’ all-time leader with 12,383 receiving yards and 110 receiving TDs.

Carter made eight consecutive Pro Bowls from 1993 to 2000 and led the NFL in receptions with 122 in 1994 and led the NFL in TD catches three times. He simply was one of the best Red Zone receivers in NFL history and had amazing hands. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving eight times when the NFL still had just 16-game seasons.

Carter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013 and also had his number retired by the Vikings.

3. Mick Tingelhoff, C

Mick Tingelhoff anchored the offensive line at center for the Vikings during their glory years. And in 17 years, from 1962 to 1978, Tingelhoff never missed a game. He started in 240 straight regular-season games and 19 playoff games, including all four Super Bowls the Vikings played in.

In his prime, Tingelhoff made the Pro Bowl six straight seasons and was First Team All-Pro five times and Second Team once. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 and has had his number retired by the Vikings.

2. Fran Tarkenton, QB

Fran Tarkenton is among the greatest and most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history, and his name is all over the Vikings history books.

He had two stints with the Vikings, and he brought immediate respectability in the franchise’s first year by demonstrating his ability to scramble away from the pass rush and make plays with feet and his arm. However, it was his second stint that saw him lead the team to three Super Bowls.

Undersized by today’s standards at 6-0 and 180 pounds, Tarkenton never shied away from the competition or onrushing defensive linemen.

Tarkenton’s legacy is one of innovation and consistent excellence. His leadership during the team’s best era in the 1970s has made him an icon in Vikings history. He is the greatest quarterback in team history.

1. Alan Page, DT

Alan Page was the team’s best player shortly after he was selected with the 15th pick in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft. He became one of the most disruptive defensive players in the NFL as he used his speed, strength, quickness, and instincts to beat offensive lineman and get to the quarterback in an instant.

Page was incredibly consistent throughout his career, but he was at his best in 1971. He had 109 tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and two safeties. Page won the league’s MVP award and also gained Defensive Player of the Year honors. The only other defensive player to win MVP in NFL history was New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986.

After his remarkable career came to an end, Page was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1988. The Vikings also retired his number. He went on to become an esteemed jurist on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Page served as an associate justice from 1993 through 2015.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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