Pat Elflein named to All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Writers of America

The rookie class for the Minnesota Vikings in 2017 might not have gotten a lot of opportunities to produce in their first season. At least some of that was due to injury, as star running back Dalvin Cook went down in Week 4 when he was second in the NFL in rushing. However, one member of the Vikings’ rookie class showed enough promise to be named to the most important All-Rookie team of the season.

Pat Elflein, who the Vikings traded up in the 2017 NFL Draft to select out of Ohio State, was named the center for the 2017 All-Rookie Team, as voted on by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Elflein, who the Vikings selected in the third round (79th overall) of this past year’s draft, started 14 of the Vikings’ 16 games, becoming the first center to start at the position as a rookie for the purple since Mick Tingelhoff. He was part of a Minnesota offensive line that was markedly improved over the disastrous 2016 version, and was one of five new starters that the Vikings put out there this season.

Elflein was the only member of the Vikings to make the PFWA All-Rookie Team, though you have to wonder where Cook might have found himself if he had gotten through the entire season.

Congratulations to Pat Elflein on being named a member of the 2017 PWFA All-Rookie Team! You can see the rest of the team below.

2017 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

2017 CO-OFFENSIVE ROOKIES OF THE YEAR: RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs and RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

2017 DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: CB Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints

2017 PFWA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Offense

QB – Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

RB – Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs; Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

WR – Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams; Juju Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

TE – Evan Engram, New York Giants

C – Pat Elflein, Minnesota Vikings

G – Dan Feeney, Los Angeles Chargers; Jermaine Eluemunor, Baltimore Ravens, and Ethan Pocic, Seattle Seahawks (tie)

T – Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos; Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints

Defense

DL – Derek Barnett, Philadelphia Eagles; Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns; Carl Lawson, Cincinnati Bengals; Dalvin Tomlinson, New York Giants

LB – Jarrad Davis, Detroit Lions; Reuben Foster, San Francisco 49ers; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

CB – Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints; Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills

S – Jamal Adams, New York Jets; Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints

Special Teams

PK – Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

P – Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis Colts

KR – Ryan Switzer, Dallas Cowboys

PR – Jamal Agnew, Detroit Lions

ST – Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals