A full five years have come and gone for the 2011 NFL Draft class. It was a strong draft, with players like Cam Newton, Von Miller, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson and J.J. Watt all going in the top 11 picks. The Minnesota Vikings didn't get any of those players in the first round and had a rough draft.
Now that five years have passed, we have a solid idea of just how good the players are from that class. Things can still change, and the view of the Vikings' class has changed in the last year or so. With that in mind, let's review and breakdown the Vikings' 2011 draft class.
Day One:
QB Christian Ponder, Florida State (Rd. 1, Pick 12)
And that pretty much sums up Ponder's career. He could stick around the NFL as a backup, but hasn't taken a snap since 2014. He briefly served as a backup in Denver last year, but was cut. He could get another shot as a backup this year, but that's not a glowing endorsement of the Vikings' selection. He's been a complete bust.
Day Two:
TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame (Rd. 2, Pick 43)
Rudolph has been a quality starter for Minnesota, although he's hasn't been quite as good as they hoped. That's partially because the Vikings run more than they pass it. Injuries have limited him at times, but Rudolph is one of the best players from the Vikings' draft class. The Vikings were without a third round pick because they traded it to New England during the 2010 season. He played just four games before getting cut, catching 13 passes for 174 yards and two scores. Oops.
Day Three:
DT Christian Ballard, Iowa (Rd. 4, Pick 106)
DB Brandon Burton, Southern Utah (Rd. 5, Pick 139)
OT Demarcus Love, Arkansas (Rd. 6, Pick 168)
S Mistral Raymond, South Florida (Rd. 6, Pick 170)
OL Brandon Fusco, Slippery Rock (Rd. 6, Pick 172)
LB Ross Homan, Ohio State (Rd. 6, Pick 200)
DE D'Aundre Reed, Arizona (Rd. 7, Pick 215)
WR Stephen Burton, Long Beach CC (Rd. 7, Pick 236)
Fusco was the only pick the Vikings really nailed. He's been the team's staring guard (when healthy) for the last four years. He's not the perfect starter, but for a sixth round pick, he's had a great career. Ballard lasted just two seasons before quitting the NFL because it was no longer fun for him. He had just one sack. Burton saw some minor playing time with the Vikings for two years, but was out of the league after the 2014 preseason. Love made the roster his rookie year, but was cut in 2013 and never played a down, despite bouncing around various practice squads. Raymond at least contributed with a few starters for the Vikings in three years, but hasn't played since 2013. Outside of a TD catch by Burton, the rest of the picks never made a real impact.
Grade: D+
The picks of Rudolph and Fusco save this draft from flunking. Missing on Ponder was a disaster, especially since he is one of only three players from the top 12 picks to not make a Pro Bowl. The Day 3 picks were mostly misses as well. Trading a third rounder for four games of aging Randy Moss hurts the grade too. In all, this was a pretty poor draft by the Vikings.