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News | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com

No. 14 Pick Heavy on Linemen in Recent NFL Drafts

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are slated to pick from the 14th overall spot in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Minnesota has drafted at No. 14 overall twice in team history, doing so in back-to-back years in 1986 and 1987. Defensive end Gerald Robinson was the pick in 1986, followed by running back D.J. Dozier a year later.

What kind of talent has been selected in that spot in the past decade? And how about throughout NFL history?

Here's a look at the history of the 14th overall pick in the NFL Draft with a special focus on the past decade that has been heavy with linemen:

2020 — Javon Kinlaw, DT, 49ers

Kinlaw didn't produce eye-popping stats over 14 games (12 starts), but he made a solid impact as a rookie in the trenches. He recorded 33 total tackles (15 solo) with 1.5 sacks, an interception returned for a score and four passes defensed.

2019 — Chris Lindstrom, G, Falcons

Lindstrom has started 21 games over two seasons, including all 16 games in 2020. Lindstrom earned a 77.1 grade from analytics website Pro Football Focus this past season, which was the 12th-best grade for a guard.

2018 — Marcus Davenport, DE, Saints

New Orleans traded up in 2018 to get Davenport, who has registered 12 sacks in three seasons and 37 games. He could be in line for a bigger role since Trey Hendrickson recently signed with the Bengals.

2017 — Derek Barnett, DE, Eagles

Barnett helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LII by recovering a fourth-quarter fumble at U.S. Bank Stadium. He has 19.5 sacks with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in four seasons.

2016 — Karl Joseph, S, Raiders

Joseph started 41 games in four seasons for the Raiders as a solid safety but played the 2020 season with the Browns (eight starts with Cleveland). The safety then re-joined the Raiders this offseason.

2015 — DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins

Parker has developed into a good wide receiver, with 56 starts in 83 career games. He has 4,212 yards and 22 scores in six seasons, doing the most damage in 2019 (72 receptions, 1,202 yards and 9 TD). It is his lone 1,000-yard season.

2014 — Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears

The Vikings are likely glad Fuller no longer resides in the NFC North, as for the former Bears star signed with the Broncos this offseason. A two-time Pro-Bowl selection with 19 career interceptions, Fuller is generally regarded in the upper echelon of players at his position.

2013 — Star Lotuleilei, DT, Panthers

Lotuleilei has been durable, missing just four games over seven seasons with Carolina (2013-17) and Buffalo (2018-19). He has just 13.5 career sacks but usually takes on an unheralded role as a mammoth presence in the middle of the defensive line. He opted out of the 2020 season.

2012 — Michael Brockers, DT, Rams

Brockers is now entering his 10thNFL season, but he's now with the Lions after nine years with the Rams. He has 28 career sacks and will be counted upon to be a leader on Detroit's defense.

2011 — Robert Quinn, DE, Rams

Quinn has recorded double-digit sacks in four of his 10 seasons, bringing his career total to 82.5. He began his career with the Rams and played seven seasons with them and has since played one season with the Dolphins, Cowboys and Bears. Quinn will play for Chicago again in 2021.

Others of Note: DE/WR Bud Grant (Eagles 1950), LB Dave Robinson (Packers 1963), LB Mike Curtis (Colts 1965), G Doug Wilkerson (Oilers 1970), LB Randy Gradishar (Broncos 1974), WR John Jefferson (Chargers 1978), QB Jim Kelly (Bills 1983), G Ruben Brown (Bills 1995), RB Eddie George (Oilers 1996), TE Bubba Franks (Packers 2000), TE Jeremy Shockey (Giants 2002), LB Thomas Davis (Panthers 2005), CB Darrelle Revis (Jets 2007), DB Malcolm Jenkins (Saints 2009), S Earl Thomas (Seahawks 2010).

Grant played two seasons, eventually shifting to the sidelines for a career that earned him a spot in Canton and atop the Vikings leaderboard.

Robinson and Kelly highlight this list as Hall of Fame players, while George has been in the conversation. Revis and Thomas could be headed to Canton after landing on the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2010s.

Franks and Shockey were two solid tight ends in the early 2000s; Jenkins has been productive in New Orleans and Philadelphia, and Davis was a franchise cornerstone in Carolina for almost a decade-and-a-half.

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