A Minnesota Viking for all but his final season, Tim Irwin patrolled the right side of Minnesota’s O-Line for over 180 Games.  The Right Tackle may never been a member of the Pro Bowl, but his solid and consistent presence was welcomed by Vikings QBs and RBs alike.

A Minnesota Viking for nine seasons, Antoine Winfield was known as being one of the best tackling Corners of his day.  Winfield anchored the Vikings Secondary for years and would represent the team in three Pro Bowls.

Ed Sharockman played all eleven of his NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and recorded 40 Interceptions.  The Cornerback is still in the top 30 all-time in Interception Return Yards and he secured six touchdowns over his career.

Considered to be the best Tight End in Minnesota Vikings history, Steve Jordan went to six Pro Bowls in a thirteen-year career.  Jordan was only a pair of catches shy of 500 and was one of best receiving Tight Ends of his era.

The Vikings selected Jordan for the Ring of Honor in 2019.

The “fourth” member of the Purple People Eaters, Gary Larsen’s role of the group was as the “policeman”, indicating that he was covering the run while his teammates were terrorizing the QB.  This didn’t mean that Larsen didn’t have his share of Quarterback pressure, as he had 38.5 (unofficial) Sacks and was named to two Pro Bowls.

A two time Pro Bowl selection from the Vikings famed defense of the 1970’s, Bobby Bryant was an undersized player (hence his nickname of “Bones”} but the former ACC Athlete of the Year is second all-time in Interceptions for the Vikings.  Bryant was also used as a returner and was a star on Special Teams.

Robert Smith retired at the height of his career, right after he rushed for over 1,500 Yards for the first time in his career and made his second Pro Bowl.   He didn’t leave the game due to injury but rather to preserve his long term health, a decision made more and more in the current generation.  While Smith did retire early, he did produce over 6,000 Rushing Yards with 38 total Touchdowns, more than enough to earn him a spot here.

In 1989, Keith Millard had one of the most incredible defensive seasons ever, winning the AP Defensive Player of the Year and leading the NFL in Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value metric.  That year, Millard would record 18 Sacks, the third time he exceeded double digits in that statistic.  He still holds the singles season record for Quarterback Sacks by a Defensive Tackle.  Millard would be hampered by a severe knee injury that would hamper his effectiveness late in his career otherwise he would likely be higher on this list.

Going to three consecutive Pro Bowls (1988-1990), Carl Lee would pick off opposing Quarterbacks 31 times.  He was known for his cerebral game and relatively mistake free style of play.  Lee would go on to become the Head Coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers for a decade.

Fred Cox was emerged as the greatest Place Kicker in Minnesota Vikings history and for that matter the elite scorer in franchise history.  Cox played all of his 210 NFL Games for Minnesota and is a one time First Team All-Pro.  He is also the all-time leader in points for the franchise.

An integral part of the Minnesota defense throughout the 1970’s, Jeff Siemon guarded the heart of the D playing Middle Linebaker.  Siemon was chosen for four Pro Bowls in an eleven-year career, all of which was with Minnesota.

A former shot put champion in the Big 10, Bill Brown used his power to become a four-time Pro Bowler in a career that was spent mostly with the Vikings.  Brown rushed for over 5,000 Yards and still holds the Vikings record for most consecutive games by a Running Back and the most Rushing Attempts.  Brown may not have the Yards/Rush in comparison to later Vikings Backs, but his Touchdown production is impressive for any player of any era.

Minnesota selected Brown for their Ring of Honor in 2004.

Seriously, how cool is the name “Scott Studwell”? 

Roy Winston never made a Pro Bowl nor an All-Pro Team but the Linebacker’s consistency over nearly 200 NFL Games makes him a bona fide contender for this All-Time Minnesota Vikings list.  Roy Winston’s lengthy career in the National Football League was all spent as a Minnesota Viking.

Making an instant statement with the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted ninth overall from Oklahoma State, Kevin Williams recorded 10 Quarterback Sacks in each of his first two seasons. 

The Defensive Tackle would become one half of the famed “Williams Wall” with Pat Williams for the Vikings and was named to the First Team All-Pro roster five times, including a four-year streak from 2006 to 2009.  In the latter half of the 2000s, Williams was the most complete DT in football, able to pass rush and stuff the run equally well.  He played with the Vikings until 2013, with a year in Seattle and one in New Orleans to close his career.

He would accumulate 63 Sacks and a whopping 129 in Approximate Value, but amongst the recent Defensive Tackles in football, his omission from serious Canton consideration is mind-boggling.

A former team MVP on a loaded USC team, Joey Browner came to the Minnesota Vikings with a lot of expectations on his shoulder, all of which he delivered on.  Browner was not just a great ball hawk but was a brilliant open-field tackler and capable of running down any receiver and bring them down with only one hand.  Any wonder why he went to six Pro Bowls and four All-Madden Teams? 

A Minnesota Viking for seven of his twelve NFL seasons, Gary Zimmerman started all 108 Games he played while wearing purple.  Zimmerman came to Minnesota following two very productive seasons in the USFL and quietly put together one of the best careers a Left Tackle ever had.  We have to say quietly as Zimmerman was known for not speaking with the media!  Zimmerman would later win a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted Zimmerman in 2008.

Grady Alderman is one of the forgotten stars of the Minnesota Vikings.  In the 1960s, Alderman went to six Pro Bowls and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 1969.  The “Last of the Original Vikings” would go on to have a successful career as an executive with the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.

Jared Allen arrived in Minnesota via trade from the Kansas City Chiefs before the 2008 season, already an established first-team All-Pro pass rusher. The Vikings gave up a first-round pick and two third-rounders to land him, and he immediately justified the cost. In his first year, he recorded 14.5 sacks, earned another first-team All-Pro selection, and began a stretch of consistent production that would define the next six seasons.

Allen played with a relentless motor and long arms that allowed him to keep pressure on the quarterback even when the initial move was blocked. He set the edge against the run and still found ways to finish plays in the backfield. In 2009, he added another 14.5 sacks and earned first-team All-Pro honors again. His peak came in 2011, when he led the NFL with 22 sacks, won Defensive Player of the Year, and earned his fourth first-team All-Pro selection. That total remains a Vikings single-season record.

He followed with 12 sacks in 2012 and 11.5 more in 2013, remaining a double-digit sack producer in every season he spent in Minnesota. Allen never missed a game during those six years and earned four Pro Bowl selections while wearing purple. After the 2013 season, he left for the Chicago Bears, later spent time with the Carolina Panthers, and then retired. He signed a one-day contract with the Vikings so he could officially leave the league as a member of the team, and he announced the decision in a video that showed him riding a horse into the sunset.

With Minnesota, he finished with 85.5 sacks across six seasons. Those totals, paired with the All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year recognition, placed him among the franchise’s strongest defensive ends. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 2025. Three years earlier, the Vikings placed him in their Ring of Honor.

While Matt Birk would win the Super Bowl in his final professional game as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, it was with the Vikings where he was at the top of his game.  Birk would become a very stable presence in the middle and you can believe his backfield was happy to have him as the anchor!  Birk went to six Pro Bowls as a Viking.  Not bad for a 6th Round pick from Harvard!