What History Says about the Vikings’ No. 18 Pick
This year, the NFL draft takes place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25 and will be held on the North Shore, including Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park. The Minnesota Vikings will join the festivities with the 18th overall pick — barring any trades — in the first round. Here we will look back at the Vikings’ draft history with the 18th overall pick.
Past Outcomes at No. 18 Shape Vikings’ 2026 Draft Outlook
Since entering the league in 1961 as an expansion team, the Vikings have selected with the 18th overall pick just three times. It has not been a position in which Minnesota has had much success. There is no Randy Moss, Randall McDaniel, or Alan Page in this list. However, some players spent several years in Minnesota with solid performances.
1994 – CB – Dewayne Washington
The Vikings first selected with the 18th overall pick in 1994, and it was the most successful of the picks from this position to date. The Vikings selected North Carolina State cornerback Dewayne Washington, who would have an immediate impact. Washington started all 16 games as a rookie, on his way to All-Rookie team recognition, thanks to recording 75 tackles and 3 interceptions for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Washington played four seasons for Minnesota, always as a starter, and totaled 10 interceptions, 3 of which were returned for touchdowns.
He swapped Minnesota for Pittsburgh in 1998, signing with the Steelers as a free agent, where he was a starter for the next six seasons before winding down a long career with a year in Jacksonville and then in Kansas City. Washington ended his career having played 12 seasons and caught 31 interceptions, five of which were returned for TDs.
2005 – DE – Erasmus James
The Vikings drafted again in 2005, selecting defensive end Erasmus James. The least successful of these three draft picks, James’ career was defined by injuries that saw him out of the league after just four seasons.
His rookie season was the highlight, in which he showed promise, playing in 15 games and making 29 tackles, including 6 for loss, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 passes defended. The rear of his career (two more seasons in Minnesota and one in Washington) amounted to just 13 games with just 9 tackles (4 for loss) and 1 sack to show from them. James suffered ACL injuries in back-to-back seasons, and his career never recovered.
2019 – C – Garrett Bradbury
The final time in Vikings draft history that Minnesota selected at 18 was Garrett Bradbury in 2019. Minnesota reached to fill a glaring roster need, and it never quite worked out. He was a six-year starter in Minnesota, but his athleticism was a plus point in the running game.
His unfortunate habit of being completely run over by big interior pass rushers was a problem that never resolved itself. It led to the Vikings releasing him last year, and Bradbury found his way to the New England Patriots.
Bradbury played in the Super Bowl for the New England in February after spending the season as the team’s starting center. The old problems were still there, though, and they chose to trade him to the Chicago Bears in March.
Bradbury did provide one of the most memorable plays I’ve witnessed in a Vikings game. A Sean Mannion pass to TE Tyler Conklin, who was hit by two Green Bay defenders, causing the ball to be deflected into the air, was caught by Bradbury and turned into a 21-yard reception. Unfortunately, the sight of Bradbury lying on the floor after being squashed in pass protection is just as memorable.
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