The 5 Most Painful Vikings Draft Picks Ever
One week ago, we brought you the best draft picks in Minnesota Vikings history, a list headlined by Fran Tarkenton, which should surprise no one. You can read that here. This time, the naughty list is up for review, with the next draft just 18 days away.
A handful of Vikings draft swings aged terribly, leaving long-term scars on the franchise.
The list has a newcomer, sadly, now that the dust has settled, and he checked in at No. 3 — Lewis Cine.
First-Round Whiffs Still Haunt Minnesota’s Draft History
From bad to worse, these are the worst draft picks in Vikings history.
5. D.J. Dozier
Drafting Dozier with the 14th pick in 1987 represented a significant investment, as the Vikings envisioned him as the centerpiece of a run-oriented offense.
But Dozier never lived up to those expectations. In 37 games, he totaled just 691 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, with his best season being his rookie year, in which he gained only 257 yards. He struggled to establish a consistent role and realize his potential.
After a brief stint in Detroit, Dozier was out of the league by age 26. For a Top-15 pick at a crucial position (back then, anyway), the Vikings received next to nothing for the long term.
4. Erasmus James
Picked 18th overall in 2005 — that’s where the Vikings draft this year — James was expected to become a dominant force on the Vikings’ defensive line. He possessed the necessary skills, and the opportunity was there for him to succeed.
Unfortunately, injuries rattled his career. In 23 games with Minnesota, James started 12, recording 38 tackles and 5 sacks before the team moved on in 2008. A subsequent stint in Washington did not improve his fortunes. Not one bit.
James’s career stalled prematurely, making him another 1st-Round pick that failed to deliver long-term value for the Vikings. Minnesota has only drafted one Round 1 EDGE defender since: Dallas Turner.
3. Lewis Cine
Cine’s tenure in Minnesota quickly soured. After only 10 defensive snaps, he suffered a severe leg injury in London during his rookie year, which dramatically altered his career trajectory.
Although he returned in 2023, he struggled to find a role, and the Vikings released him the following year. He either never fully recovered from the injury or just plain stunk. You pick.
Cine later joined a Super Bowl-winning team in Philadelphia, but his impact was negligible. While injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, Cine’s time with the Vikings stands out as one of the most disappointing first-round stories in franchise history.
He was also cut from a UFL roster not long ago. Brutal.
Minnesota Sports Fan‘s Eric Strack wrote about Cine a couple of months ago, “Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s biggest draft miss came during his very first swing — when he traded down 20 spots from No. 12 overall to No. 32 overall — passing on (S) Kyle Hamilton and (WR) Jameson Williams, in favor of (S) Lewis Cine, who’s rookie deal was worth $11.5 million. We all know the story, from there. Cine broke his leg during his first preseason as a Viking.”
“And when he finally got on the field one year later, not only was the hard-hitting Georgia safety lacking first round talent … but he didn’t even belong in the NFL. Before the start of the 2024 regular season, Lewis Cine was waived by the Minnesota Vikings. After he was kicked around between a few different NFL practice squads the past couple years, Cine was forced to settle for a UFL contract with the DC Defenders on January 22, 2026.”
Cine’s football career could be over.
“Not even two weeks later… the 2022 first round pick has been cut from the DC roster. And unless he’s willing to play overseas, it’s possible Lewis Cine may now be forced to look for jobs outside of playing professional football,” Strack concluded.
2. Leo Hayden
The Vikings’ selection of Hayden in the 1st Round of the 1971 draft never gained traction.
Despite participating in the preseason, he never played a regular-season game for Minnesota. He eventually landed in St. Louis, where he rushed for 11 yards before retiring at age 25.
The Vikings quickly rebounded by acquiring Chuck Foreman soon after, but the Hayden pick remains a significant miss that never had a chance.
1. Dimitrius Underwood
Underwood’s situation unraveled before it started. Drafted in Round 1 in 1999, he abruptly left training camp in August and never played a single snap for the Vikings.
He briefly appeared with Dallas, but his career failed to launch. Underwood faced off-field challenges, including legal issues and later discussions surrounding his mental health, which were not well understood or tolerated at the time.
From a football standpoint, the Vikings gained nothing from this pick, making it one of the most sudden and disappointing 1st-Round busts in team history.
Imagine if Donovan Jackson just never made it through the summer of 2025 and vanished. That was Underwood a quarter century ago.
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