Best of the Vikings Best Draft Picks: Rounds 4 & 5

[Viktor]

After this installment, we'll close with the sixth, seventh and "beyond" on April 28.


Note: We did not include anyone currently on the Vikings roster in our deliberations because their on-field contributions to the organization are ongoing.


Best of the Fourth Round


The Vikings are entering the 2021 NFL Draft with four picks in the fourth round, which would be the most ever used by Minnesota in one year, breaking three in 2012 and 2020.


General Manager Rick Spielman could use some of the Vikings fourth-round picks to try to get into the second round, or he could stand pat and rely on depth lasting. Spielman's first use of a fourth-round pick with Minnesota in 2007 landed Brian Robison, and his second use (which wasn't until 2010) brought Everson Griffen to the Vikings.


Robison and Griffen made our list along with Roy Winston. The nominees are listed chronologically by year selected. Be sure to vote below.


Roy Winston, LB | No. 45 Overall, 1962 | Years with Vikings: 1962-76


The Vikings landed Winston out of LSU in the second draft in franchise history and were able to get him to spurn an offer from the Chargers, who picked him in the 1962 AFL Draft when the leagues were rivals. Winston later explained that his love for hunting and fishing in his home state of Louisiana helped influence his choice.


Winston appeared in 13 games as a rookie and became a starter in 1963. The following season, he became the first Vikings player to intercept three passes in one game (Oct. 25, 1964 at San Francisco), setting a franchise record that has been tied multiple times but never topped.


The first sack recorded by a Viking in a Super Bowl? That was Winston, too, on Minnesota's sixth defensive snap of Super Bowl IV (sacks didn't become an official stat until 1982). The linebacker was part of all four Vikings teams that have reached a Super Bowl. He played in 14 playoff games.


Winston totaled 11 sacks, 12 interceptions (tied for second most by a Vikings linebacker) and 14 fumble recoveries (ninth in team history) on his way to earning a spot among the 50 Greatest Vikings.


Lastly, pro-football-reference.com gives Winston a weighted career approximate value of 83 that is higher than Griffen (65) or Robison (45). So as much as I appreciated the opportunity to cover parts of the careers of Griffen and Robison, it is also fair to say Winston might be the best fourth-rounder.


— Craig Peters