The Vikings have the 22nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft via the Buffalo Bills from the Stefon Diggs trade.
What can the Vikings expect with the 22nd pick? We have yet to see, but here are the best players taken 22nd overall since 2000:
Honorable mentions: DE Bryan Thomas (2002), DE Manny Lawson (2006), DB Will Allen (2001)
3. WR, Percy Harvin, 2009 – Vikings
Harvin was so good and so explosive when he entered the league out of Florida.
He was named Rookie of the Year in 2009 after catching 60 passes for 790 yards and six touchdowns to go with two kick return touchdowns as well.
That was the only season Harvin made the Pro Bowl, but he was a dual-threat player for the Vikings during his four-season stretch there.
The Vikings traded Harvin to the Seahawks for a first-round pick, third-round pick and seventh-round pick. The deal looked pretty good for the Vikings. Harvin played in just six games for the Seahawks over a two year-stretch. Harvin later played for the Jets and Bills. He’s been out of the league since 2016.
Maybe someone else should be in this spot for longevity reasons, but at his peak, Harvin was one of the most dangerous players in the NFL.
2. T, Anthony Castonzo, 2011 – Colts
The former Boston College star has never made a Pro Bowl, but he’s started 132 games since his rookie season, all at left tackle. Most teams would absolutely love that consistency at one of the most difficult positions to fill.
In 2019, Castonzo finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 81.3, a mark that ranked tied for seventh among tackles in the NFL.
1. WR, Demaryius Thomas, 2010 – Broncos
After starting seven games in his first two seasons, Thomas caught on quickly after that, piling up five-straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2012-2016. That included four Pro Bowl appearances. From 2012-2014, Thomas had 35 combined touchdowns.
Thomas suffered a ruptured Achilles in 2018 with the Texans. In 11 games with the Jets last season, Thomas caught 36 passes for 433 yards and a touchdown.
Even if Thomas, 32, doesn’t get back to the player he was, finishing a career with 724 catches (2nd in draft class), 9,763 yards (2nd) and 63 touchdowns (5th) is a pretty good run.