To get a good idea of how the Minnesota Vikings have stumbled recently, all one has to do is look at how they have drafted over the last four years.

The Vikings have not gotten an influx of talent from the draft, and it has contributed to their below-average personnel base. Because of salary-cap restrictions, teams have to build through the draft. Value picks from the third round on can save teams money, allowing them to deal with the cap and sign free agents.

	Daunte Culpepper has thrown eight TD passes and 14 interceptions this season.

When teams lose players, they have to replenish through the draft. If they don't, the well of talent gets sucked dry. Teams can no longer afford to have a bad draft, and certainly not two or three of them. If drafted players can't fill the voids -- or play, for that matter -- teams will go from the penthouse to the outhouse, as the Vikings have done over the last four years.

Currently, eight players from their last four drafts are starting, but many of them were forced into starting roles and aren't playing up to a starter's level. That is one of the reasons their personnel is not up to the level needed to win in the NFL. The Vikings should be getting at least four starters coming out of each year's draft. It's still too early to ask all the 2002 picks to be starters, but they should have 12-14 starters from the other three.

Their last four drafts have been built around three players -- Daunte Culpepper, Michael Bennett and Chris Hovan. The other starters are mediocre to average at best.

Instead of concentrating on how the players are producing now, I look at how the players projected at the time of the draft. And the Vikings' draft-day trend has been to take players higher than they were projected. They have reached two or three rounds for players in each draft.

Here is how I view their picks from each draft over the last four years (* -- current starter; # -- on active roster; @ -- on IR):

1999
*1. Daunte Culpepper, QB, Central Florida -- Culpepper went exactly where he was expected to go. There was very little separating him from Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, Cade McNown and Culpepper. The Vikings graded him as their No. 1 player. So they did a great job getting their No. 1 player -- and their franchise quarterback -- with the 11th overall pick. Plus, they didn't have to trade up to get him. He's struggling now, but that's not all his fault. Much has to do with the changes the Vikings have made and their lack of big-time personnel around him. After Randy Moss and Michael Bennett, what do they have? They don't have all the same receivers they once had and other key components of of the offense. Nevertheless, Culpepper is a star.

1. Dimitrius Underwood, DE, Michigan State -- When the Vikings chose Underwood with the 29th pick, I was shocked. I remember saying, "What? Are you kidding me?" He was projected to be no better than a third- or fourth-round pick. He was one of the biggest reaches in the first round and obviously had other issues. He ended up being a non-factor.

*2. Jim Kleinsasser, TE, North Dakota -- The Vikings traded up from No. 59 to No. 44 to get Kleinsasser. While he was a tight end who had the ability to catch and run after the catch, he was not worth trading up for. Unless a team targets a player who would be a star or a major value pick, I don't agree with a team trading up. The third-round, traded to Pittsburgh, ended up becoming linebacker Joey Porter, who is obviously a great player. While Kleinsasser is a starter, he is nothing to write home about.

4. Kenny Wright, DB, Northwestern St. -- He started eight games in 2001, but just an OK choice. Now in Houston.

4. Jay Humphrey, T, Texas -- A reach in the fourth round. I had him projected as a sixth-round pick. Now in Carolina.

5. Chris Jones, LB, Clemson -- An average pick at best.

@6. Talance Sawyer, DL, UNLV -- Although Sawyer started every game last season, he was a one-dimensional pass rusher. A decent pick.

6. Antico Dalton, LB, Hampton -- I thought he would be an undrafted free agent.

7. Noel Scarlett, DL, Langston -- He wasn't even in my draft book.

2000
*1. Chris Hovan, DT, Boston College -- Hovan turned out to be an excellent choice. He is one of their better defensive players. He's solid, but not great, as a late first-round pick.

*2. Fred Robbins, DT, Wake Forest -- He is a mediocre player who was a major reach. I projected him as a fourth-round pick.

2. Michael Boireau, DT, Miami (Fla.) -- A major, major reach. I had Boireau as a fifth-round pick. Teams need to get much better value in the second round than the Vikings did with Boireau.

@3. Doug Chapman, RB, Marshall I thought he was a fifth- or sixth-round pick at best. He has been a serviceable backup, but that's way too high.

#4. Antonio Wilson, LB, Texas A&M-Commerce -- I had him as a fifth-rounder.

#4. Tyrone Carter, DB, Minnesota -- Carter made sense as a fourth-round pick. He has been an adequate, versatile defensive back. He started seven games last season.

5. Troy Walters, WR, Stanford -- Walters went about where he was projected because he was a diminutive receiver who had return skills.

7. Mike Malano, C, San Diego State -- Projected as an undrafted free agent.

7. Giles Cole, TE, Texas A&M -- Not even in my draft book.

#7. Lewis Kelly, OL, South Carolina State -- Although I had him as an undrafted free agent, Kelly turned out to be a nice late-round find. He was forced to be a starter because Bryant McKinnie was a holdout. The jury is still out on what type of player he will become, but I give the Vikings credit for him. Kelly has started five games this season and has been average to below average starter.

2001
*1. Michael Bennett, RB, Wisconsin -- Bennett was a nice pick late in the first round. That was exactly where he was projected to go. And with the retirement of Robert Smith, running back was a need area. He came out as a junior with limited experience, but he is now paying off. He has rushed for more than 100 yards for four straight weeks.

@2. Willie Howard, DT, Stanford -- Howard was projected to go late in the second round, which is where he went. He has had injury problems and hasn't been productive, but I couldn't argue with it at the time.

*3. Eric Kelly, CB, Kentucky -- Kelly is starting, but he is getting lit up in the secondary. He was about a one- or two-round reach.

4. Shawn Worthen, DT, TCU -- Another reach. I had him rated two rounds lower than he was drafted.

#4. Cedric James, WR, TCU -- James didn't catch a lot of passes at TCU, but he had some return ability. He had good workouts before the draft, but he was taken a round too early by my projections.

#5. Patrick Chukwurah, LB, Wyoming -- Chukwurah was a pass-rushing, defensive end/linebacker hybrid in college and was projected as a late-round choice. He has had his moments, but that's all.

6. Carey Scott, CB, Kentucky State -- Considered no better than a free agent.

7. Brian Crawford, T, Western Oregon -- I barely had him in my book.

2002
*1 (7). Bryant McKinnie, OT, Miami (Fla.) -- Remember, the Vikings wanted defensive tackle Ryan Sims instead of McKinnie. But Kansas City delayed on the trade from Dallas. The Vikings could have had Sims, but they didn't get the card up to the podium int time. They were a little asleep at the wheel. They ended up with McKinnie, who held out until recently. He is a non-factor his season, even though they are forcing him into the lineup now.

@2. Raonall Smith, LB, Washington State -- I had him as a fourth-round pick and thought he was a reach.

*3. Willie Offord, DB, South Carolina -- I thought he was an average player at best and was a major reach. I had him as a sixth or seventh round pick. I don't care what type of player he turns out to be; the Vikings could have had him two rounds later. Offord has started six games, but he's playing only because he has to. The Vikings have a terrible defense. He is an example of where starts don't mean anything. Just because a player starts as a rookie doesn't mean he is a good player.

#4. Brian Williams, DB, North Carolina State -- I liked the Williams pick. He has played on special teams, but he can play cornerback and safety. He was a much better pick than Offord.

4. Ed Ta'Amu, G, Utah -- An average choice; he's now on the practice squad. I thought he would be a late-round pick.

*6. Nick Rogers, LB, Georgia Tech -- Another rookie starter. He was an OK pick and one I didn't rave about during the draft. He had productivity at Georgia, but we didn't know if he could take on people at the line of scrimmage or if he would be athletic enough to be a linebacker. He was considered more of a 'tweener.

7. Chad Beasley, DT, Virginia Tech -- A hard-working blue-collar type of defensive tackle who I felt could run into resistance at the pro level. He was an average pick, but he went about where he was projected. Now in Cleveland.