In a draft that seems to live on in infamy–often referenced as a significant screw up, despite the fact that it worked out in the Vikings favor–on April 26, 2003 the Vikings selected defensive lineman Kevin Williams out of Oklahoma State with the 9th overall pick in the first round. The “screw up” that people bring up? The Vikings were slated to pick 7th overall.
One year after another draft snafu that is frequently mentioned as a Vikings screw up, the Vikings were on the clock at number seven, after the New Orleans Saints took defensive tackle Jonathan Sullivan. With Williams already apparently set as their target–but someone that they thought they could slide back to still grab–the Vikings made a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to go back to the 10th overall pick, so the Ravens could move up and select quarterback Byron Leftwich.
One of the teams (reportedly the Ravens, from everything I’ve always heard) didn’t get the trade filed with the league–and during the confusion over the status of the trade, the Vikings draft time expired. As the situation had arisen the year before, the Jaguars (originally 8th overall) and Panthers (originally 9th overall) had representatives at the draft desk ready to make their picks–Leftwich and tackle Jordan Gross. The Vikings finally were then able to get their pick made 9th, taking Williams–before the Ravens selected defensive end Terrell Suggs.
The snafu ended up working out in favor of both the Vikings and the Ravens, though–Williams was named First-team All-Pro five times during his Vikings tenure, and made six Pro Bowls, made the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team, and was eventually put in the Vikings Ring of Honor–while Suggs won Defensive Rookie of the Year, was named First-team All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year once, made seven Pro Bowls, and won two Super Bowls with the Ravens. Gross was a solid tackle, being named All-Pro once and making three Pro Bowls, while Leftwich was a serviceable quarterback, but never a star in the NFL.
Later on this date, the Vikings added EJ Henderson (2nd round, 40th overall) and Nate Burleson (3rd round, 71st overall) as well.