MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second time in four years, the 23rd overall pick will be in the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, as the team once again looks to build a team that can advance further than the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Assuming the Vikings don't trade the pick, they'll be trying to add another fixture to a team that's been built largely on general manager Rick Spielman's success in the first round. The last time the Vikings drafted in this spot, Spielman took Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd in 2013, before drafting Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes two picks later and trading back into the first round for Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. This time, the Vikings only have one first-rounder (barring a trade). History suggests they'll be able to get a solid player at No. 23, though the odds of landing anything more significant than that are longer.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, 12 of the 46 players taken 23rd overall have made at least one Pro Bowl, with 28 of those 46 players starting at least four years in the league. The ranks of 23rd picks include two Hall of Famers (Ozzie Newsome and Ray Guy), as well as five-time Pro Bowler Ty Law, six-time Pro Bowl tackle Bruce Armstrong and another name that should be familiar to Vikings fans: three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield.
Recent history, however, hasn't yielded much more than a reliable contributor at No. 23. The last Pro Bowler taken at the spot was Dwayne Bowe in 2007, and only two players (Bowe and Davin Joseph) have made Pro Bowls from the 23rd spot since 2003.
Using Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value metric, here are the 10 best players taken 23rd overall since the merger:
1. Ty Law (CB, 1995-2009): Five Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro selections. Retired with 53 interceptions and five sacks; played in four Super Bowls with Patriots, winning three.
2. Bruce Armstrong (T, 1987-2000): Six Pro Bowls; started 212 games for Patriots in 14-year career.
3. Jeff Hartings (C, 1996-2006): Two Pro Bowls, one first-team All-Pro selection. Played right guard in Detroit before shifting to center in Pittsburgh. Won Super Bowl in 2005.
4. Antoine Winfield (CB, 1999-2012): Three Pro Bowls, all with Vikings; retired with 27 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and 7 1/2 sacks.
5. Jim Jeffcoat (DE, 1983-1997): Won two Super Bowls with Cowboys; retired with 102.5 career sacks, including five double-digit sack seasons.
6. Ozzie Newsome (TE, 1978-1990): Three Pro Bowls, one first-team All-Pro selection. Played all 198 games in his career with Browns; inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Won two Super Bowls in Baltimore Ravens' front office.
7. Bob Brudzinski (LB, 1977-1989): Started 135 games in 13-year career with Rams and Dolphins. Recovered seven fumbles and intercepted nine passes, including one he returned for a touchdown.
8. Louis Lipps (WR, 1984-1992): Two Pro Bowls in first two years in the league; posted career-high 1,134 yards with Steelers in 1985, to go with league-leading 656 punt return yards. Ran three punts back for TDs in 1984 and 1985.
9. Willis McGahee (RB, 2004-13): Reached two Pro Bowls with two different teams (Ravens in 2007; Broncos in 2011). Surpassed 1,100 rushing yards four times; retired with 8,474 career rushing yards.
10. Deuce McAllister (RB, 2001-08): Reached Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003; ran for more than 1,000 yards four times, including 1,641 yards in 2003. That season is the 45th-highest single-season rushing total in NFL history.