Daily Norseman
Vikings’ historic draft quantified in PFF redraft
It’s no secret for Minnesota Vikings’ fans that the 2015 draft turned out pretty well for the Purple. It was easily Rick Spielman’s best draft and one of the best drafts in franchise history.
The Vikings didn’t hit on every pick, but where they hit, they hit it big. The Vikings’ 2015 draft class:
Trae Waynes proved to be a serviceable starting cornerback but never lived up to his draft status. He ultimately made more money not playing for the Bengals for two seasons ($30 million) than he made playing five seasons for the Vikings ($22 million).
Eric Kendricks proved to be a solid core defender, prolific tackler, defensive playcaller, team captain, Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro. He was signed to a lucrative second contract before ultimately being let go after the 2022 season as his production no longer matched his salary cap.
Danielle Hunter proved to be one of the best pass rushers in the league since being drafted and ten years and 109 sacks later is still producing at a high level. Rick Spielman actually traded down twice from the #76 pick to #80 and then to #88 before selecting Hunter. He’s been a five-time Pro Bowler, Second-Team All-Pro, and team captain. The Vikings signed him to what turned out to be a bargain second contract (5-year, $72MM, $14.4MM AAV). That proved to be an issue in the last years of that contract, and the Vikings did renegotiate it for the 2023 season. But ultimately the Vikings got a premier edge rusher for nine seasons for just over $10 million/year, which was quite a bargain. The Vikings opted to sign Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel rather than spend about the same amount to extend Hunter in 2024.
T.J. Clemmings was the ultimate RAS pick that never panned out. He had all the measurables to be an elite tackle but was raw in his skillset and never really developed. He was forced into a starting position well before he was ready due to injury, which didn’t help either.
Mycole Pruitt only lasted a little over the year with the Vikings but has managed to carve out a nice little NFL career for himself and is still playing ten years and ten million dollars later. That’s way above average for a fifth-round pick.
One fifth-round pick that’s done better than Pruitt is Stefon Diggs, one of the best fifth-round picks in NFL history. He has been one of the most productive receivers since entering the league and the best offensive player of the 2015 draft class. He’s averaged over 1,000 receiving yards/season since he was drafted and was a...
