Six Vikings make the list of greatest NFL players to wear each number

We’ve done our own series in the past about who the greatest player to wear each number in the history of the Minnesota Vikings is. For our team, a lot of those players were pretty obvious, but a list of who the greatest of all time in the entire National Football League to wear each number is would be significantly more difficult.

Over at USA Today’s Touchdown Wire, Doug Farrar has done just that, compiling a list of the best players in the history of the NFL to wear each uniform number. The Vikings are pretty well-represented, landing six players on the list.

Here are the six Vikings that were designated:

• #10 - Fran Tarkenton
• #69 - Jared Allen
• #70 - Jim Marshall
• #84 - Randy Moss
• #88 - Alan Page
• #93 - John Randle

It’s really tough to argue any of those guys, to be honest. Sure, I’m obviously biased towards members of the Vikings, but when you look at those players I’m not sure who else you could argue.

I’m quite happy that Page was given the nod at #88. Sometimes these lists will favor more recent or flashier players, but when you’re one of only a couple of defensive players in league history to be named NFL MVP and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I’m not sure why anyone else would be placed ahead of Page as the greatest to don the #88.

My guess is that non-Vikings fans might have some heartburn over Marshall making the list for the #70, since most people only know him as the guy that ran the wrong way (which is an absolute travesty) and he’s not in the Hall of Fame, even though he damn well should be by now. But if you look at the list of players that were considered for the #70, it doesn’t look to be terribly impressive, honestly. Marshall is quite clearly the best of that group.

What do you think of the list of greatest players to wear each uniform number that Touchdown Wire compiled? Were there any former Vikings that you think should have made it?