5 Best Wide Receivers in Minnesota Vikings History

Adam Thielen is the definition of a hometown hero, which explains much of why he was so beloved by fans in his 12-year tenure in Minneapolis.

Born and raised in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, a town of 10,000 far closer to Fargo than the Twin Cities, Thielen not only redshirted at Minnesota State in Mankato but thrived there, nearing the top of most school statistic leaderboards.

Thielen only signed with the Vikings as a free agent after going undrafted in 2013, and impressed his hometown team enough to earn a three-year deal.

Before breaking in as one of the team's main pass-catchers, Thielen was also a special teams ace, earning the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 13 of his rookie year after returning a blocked punt 30 yards for a touchdown.

Thielen earned his shot in 2016 with Stefon Diggs sidelined, and immediately made an impact, hauling in seven catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, while recording the Vikings' fifth-ever game of 200-plus receiving yards later in the season against the Packers.

He made two consecutive Pro Bowls in 2017 and 2018, the latter of which saw Cousins join the Vikings under center. He finished with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2020, the second-most by a player in Vikings history, and while his tenure in Minnesota ended in a salary-conscious release, Thielen and his fifth-most receiving yards will always be beloved in his home state.

4. Anthony Carter (1985-1993)

Carter's path to Minnesota is rather winding. Instead of joining the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the 12th round of the 1983 draft, the Michigan standout joined the USFL's Michigan Panthers, where he won a championship, then the Oakland Invaders (who had merged with the Panthers).

Then, fortunately for Vikings fans and unfortunately for Dolphins fans, Carter decided to pursue the NFL after all, and became one of the most legendary Vikings wide receivers of all time after being traded from Miami to Minnesota before ever stepping onto the NFL gridiron.

Carter led the Vikings in receptions in five of his first six seasons, and made three straight Pro Bowls from 1987 to 1989. It was 1987, however, that carved out his legacy for good.

Carter's role in the Vikings' upset over the heavily favored 49ers (13-2) in the 1987 divisional round is inarguable; his 227 receiving yards on 10 catches is still a playoff record.

Before that, Carter had set a playoff record with 143 punt return yards against the Saints, and while the Vikes fell short against Washington, Carter's role in an unexpected run will always go down as legendary.

It doesn't hurt that he finished his career with the fourth-most receiving yards in franchise history.

3. Justin Jefferson (2020-Present)

As crazy as it sounds, Jefferson has a legitimate chance to eclipse one or both of the next two men on this list someday.

Jefferson only found his way to Minnesota after the trade that sent Stefon Diggs to the Bills landed the Vikings the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, which they used on the LSU product.

"JJettas" only fell in the draft because he was the main slot receiver on a loaded, national championship-winning Tigers team that included No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow and 2021 No. 5 overall pick Ja'Marr Chase, who manned the outside on that Tigers team.

Jefferson took his erroneously low draft stock all the way to the bank, carving out a legacy in Minnesota that already ranks among the top in franchise history, with 8,480 receiving yards (third-most) and 90.2 yards per game, which leads all five players on this list.

Jefferson was among the quickest players in NFL history to reach 5,000 and 6,000 receiving yards, and burst onto the scene as the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year with 1,809 receiving yards. It's worth saying, too, that all-time leading receiver Cris Carter saw this coming at the 2020 NFL scouting combine.

2. Randy Moss (1998-2004; 2010)

In yet another story of "what could have been," Moss, who wanted to play for the Cowboys -- who employed a scout who called Moss the "most gifted prospect in football history" -- was passed up on in the 1998 NFL draft and fell to the Vikings at No. 21 due to legal issues during high school and college.

Moss, determined to prove everyone wrong with his on-field play, used his snub as fuel in his Vikings career, living up to his scouting report of being one of the most gifted prospects in football history.

Before later joining Tom Brady in New England, Moss won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, along with a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nod, helping the Vikings become what was then the highest scoring offense in NFL history, with 556 points.

While the Vikings were stunned by the Falcons in the NFC championship game that year, they still finished the season 15-1.

Moss thrived with Daunte Culpepper under center, with the Vikings starting the season 7-0 and Moss looking like a potential MVP candidate. On Thanksgiving Day, Moss recorded an iconic touchdown against the Cowboys with everything but his shoes out of bounds, a shot that would become a mainstay in NFL commercials.

His 92 touchdowns and 9,316 receiving yards are both second-most in Vikings history, though his first stint with the Vikings ended sourly after he recorded career lows in receptions and yards, and had some controversial on-field antics, leading to an offseason trade. His 2010 return to Minnesota wasn't much better, with a tumultuous four-game stint that roiled the front office.

Still, Moss' last name is a verb in football culture, was inducted into the Vikings' Ring of Honor for his contributions to the team, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

1. Cris Carter (1990-2001)

Beyond being far and away the best wide receiver in Vikings history statistically, Carter's path to arrive in Minnesota presents as one of the biggest redemption arc stories in football history.

Carter was waived in 1990 by the Eagles due to struggles with alcohol and drug abuse, and head coach Buddy Ryan was credited by Carter with helping turn his life around. Claimed by the Vikings shortly thereafter for just $100, Carter needed to earn his way into a starting role in a crowded offense that included Hassan Jones and the aforementioned Anthony Carter.

After exacting a bit of revenge that year against his former team (six catches for 151 yards and a touchdown), Carter became the starter in 1991, and never looked back.

From 1993 to 2000, Carter made the Pro Bowl every single year, led the league in receptions in 1994, led the league in receiving touchdowns in 1995, 1997, and 1999, and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 1994 and 1999.

With Warren Moon under center in 1994, not only did Carter lead the league in receptions but broke what was then the NFL single-season record for receptions with 122, a number he'd recreate in 1995 (though Detroit's Herman Moore would grab a record 123 passes that year), for a career-high 1,371 passing yards.

For his redemption arc and place in one of the most high-powered offenses in NFL history alongside Moss and Randall Cunningham, Carter gets the No. 1 spot on this list. The iconic wideout, who ranks 13th on the NFL's all-time receiving list, was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

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