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Minnesota Vikings: Best and worst draft picks

In the days leading up to the 2013 NFL Draft, NFL.com will allow users to determine the best and worst draft picks for every team. The series continues with the team that owns the No. 23 and No. 25 overall picks in this year's draft, the Minnesota Vikings.

Best picks

Adrian Peterson -- 2007 (No. 7)
Peterson hit the ground running as a rookie by leading the NFC in rushing yards (1,341), setting a new NFL single-game rushing record of 296 yards, and helping the Vikings set a new team rushing record (2,634 yards). He earned Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and was named MVP of the Pro Bowl. In six seasons with the Vikings, Peterson has authored five of the franchise's top six rushing seasons and in 2012 he became just the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards while going on to earn NFL MVP honors.
» 2007 NFL Draft | Video: Peterson Sound FX | Photos: Peterson

Randy Moss -- 1998 (No. 21)
Moss put together one of the best debut seasons of all time, hauling in an NFL rookie single-season record 17 touchdowns and averaging 19.0 yards per catch for a Vikings team that went 15-1 and scored a then-NFL record 556 points. An elite vertical threat throughout his 16-year career, Moss set the NFL single-season receiving record in 2007 with 23 scores and currently ranks second in NFL history behind only Jerry Rice with 156 touchdown receptions.
» 1998 NFL Draft | Photos: Moss through the years

Scott Studwell -- 1977 (No. 250)
A linebacker for 14 seasons, Studwell is the standard by which all other Vikings 'backers are measured. He is the franchise career leader in combined tackles (1,981), defensive tackles (1,928), single-season tackles (230 in 1981) and single-game tackles (24 at Detroit in 1985). One of the most enduring figures in Vikings history, Studwell is in his fourth decade with the franchise and in 2013 enters his 22nd season working in the front office.
» 1977 NFL Draft

Ron Yary -- 1968 (No. 1)
In 1968, Yary became the first offensive lineman to be drafted first overall in NFL history, and the Hall of Famer's blend of size, speed and strength helped usher in a new era of offensive line play. He assumed a starting role midway through the 1969 season and was a fixture there for the rest of his career, missing only two games during his career due to injury. Yary was named an All-Pro in six consecutive seasons, played in seven Pro Bowls and started in four Super Bowls.
» 1968 NFL Draft

Alan Page -- 1967 (No. 15)
A Hall of Famer (1988) and member of the vaunted Purple People Eaters, Page was a mainstay in a dominant Vikings defense that became legendary and led the franchise to four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Page was named to the Pro Bowl nine times in 12 seasons with the Vikings, and in 1971 he became the first defensive player to earn NFL MVP honors. Page played in 236 straight games and had a knack for the impact play, recording 148.5 sacks, 28 blocked kicks and 23 fumble recoveries.
» 1967 NFL Draft | NFL Films: Page

Worst picks

Art Riley -- 1975 (No. 52)
A two-time letter-winner, two-time Rose Bowl participant and member of the 1974 national championship team at USC, Riley's career didn't pan out with the Vikings. He never made the Vikings roster.
» 1975 Draft

D.J. Dozier -- 1987 (No. 14)
The Vikings entered the 1987 draft having not ranked in the top 10 in rushing since 1975, so they traded two picks (first round and fifth round) to move up two spots in order to select Dozier. In 37 games over five seasons with the Vikings, Dozier rushed for just 643 yards and seven touchdowns.
» 1987 NFL Draft

Gerald Robinson -- 1986 (No. 14)
With the days of the Purple People Eaters long in the rear-view mirror, the Vikings tabbed Auburn University's all-time sack leader to turn things around. But in two seasons, Robinson produced only 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 16 games.
» 1986 NFL Draft

Dimitrius Underwood -- 1999 (No. 29)
At 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, Underwood passed the eyeball test and registered impressive measurables coming out of Michigan State. The Vikings selected him in the first round, but he never made the active roster and bounced around the NFL and CFL until 2005 before his playing career ended.
» 1999 NFL Draft

Troy Williamson -- 2005 (No. 7)
The Vikings were looking to replace the vertical threat they lost in trading away Randy Moss and used their top choice on the speedy wideout from South Carolina. But Williamson's career didn't pan out as expected, as he totaled just 79 receptions and three touchdowns in 39 games played over three seasons.
» 2005 NFL Draft

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