Vikings Target Terrance Gray for GM; Revisiting Minnesota’s Draft Hits and Misses During His Tenure

It's hard to put Gray's fingerprints on any one individual pick from 2006 to 2016, but he was a college scout during an era that featured some big-time hits and misses.

Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray. | Image courtesy of the Buffalo Bills

The first name SI's Albert Breer mentioned when identifying possible candidates for the general manager job in Minnesota was Buffalo assistant GM Terrance Gray, and it's now being widely reported that the Vikings have asked the Bills for permission to interview Gray.

Gray spent 11 years as a college scout with the Vikings before the Bills hired him in 2017.

We can't say outright how many draft picks Gray's fingerprints are on during his 11 seasons (2006 to 2016) with the Vikings, but these are arguably the 15 best picks Minnesota made during that stretch.

1. Adrian Peterson, RB (No. 7 in 2007)
2. Harrison Smith, S (No. 29 in 2012)
3. Chad Greenway, LB (No. 17 in 2006)
4. Danielle Hunter, DE (No. 88 in 2015)
5. Stefon Diggs, WR (No. 146 in 2015)
6. Xavier Rhodes, CB (No. 25 in 2013)
7. Eric Kendricks, LB (No. 45 in 2015)
8. Anthony Barr, LB (No. 9 in 2014)
9. Everson Griffen, DE (No. 100 in 2010)
10. Kyle Rudolph, TE (No. 43 in 2011)
11. Percy Harvin, WR (No. 22 in 2009)
12. John Sullivan, C (No. 187 in 2008)
13. Brian Robison, DL (No. 102 in 2007)
14. Cedric Griffin, CB (No. 48 in 2006)
15. Sidney Rice, WR (No. 44 in 2007)

About two-thirds of those guys could be in the Purple Ring of Honor when it's all said and done.

On the flip side, these are the worst picks the Vikings made during Gray's 11 years.

1. Christian Ponder, QB (No. 12 in 2011)
2. Matt Kalil, LT (No. 4 in 2012)
3. Laquon Treadwell, WR (No. 23 in 2016)
4. Toby Gerhart, RB (No. 51 in 2010)
5. Trae Waynes, CB (No. 11 in 2015)
6. Tyrell Johnson, S (No. 43 in 2008)
7. Chris Cook, CB (No. 34 in 2010)
8. Christian Ballard, DT (No. 106 in 2011)
9. Jeff Locke, P (No. 155 in 2013)
10. Ryan Cook, C (No. 51 in 2006)
11. Tarvaris Jackson, QB (No. 64 in 2006)
12. John David Booty, QB (No. 137 in 2008)
13. Asher Allen, CB (No. 86 in 2009)
14. Shariff Floyd, DT (No. 23 in 2013)

Ponder, Kalil, Treadwell, and Gerhart made the list for obvious reasons, while some of the others may require a refresher.

For example, Waynes was the first cornerback taken in the 2015 draft, and he finished his career with only seven interceptions. Ballard was considered a potential steal in the fourth round, but he played only two seasons and later admitted he didn't enjoy football. Booty never even played in a regular-season game, and T-Jack, who died in a tragic car crash at the age of 36 in 2020, was a second-round pick who never developed into a reliable starting quarterback.

Floyd made the list due to bad luck. Minnesota drafted him 23rd after he slid in the draft, having been projected as a top-five pick. His career didn't last long thanks to a routine meniscus surgery that resulted in nerve damage. Similarly, the Vikings used a third-round pick on Allen in 2009, but multiple concussions led to his decision to retire at just 24 years old and three years in the league.

While it's unclear how much credit Gray deserves for the teams Minnesota built under former general manager Rick Spielman, Breer recently said Gray has "been a huge part" in putting teams together in Buffalo over the past decade.

The other external candidates Breer named are all currently assistant general managers:

• James Liipfert, Houston Texans
• Mike Bradway, Kansas City Chiefs
• Andy Weidl, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Ed Dodd, Indianapolis Colts
• Jeff Ireland, New Orleans Saints

Vikings interim GM Rob Brzezinski and assistant GM Ryan Grigson are also reportedly candidates.