The Vikings’ 19-13 victory over the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday showed me they hit an absolute home run with Anthony Barr as their first-round draft pick this year.

Any team can put together one good season if everything falls into place, but to build a team that wins year in, year out, you need two things.

First, you need a great quarterback. They’re the ones who keep their teams competitive year after year after year.

Second, you need great playmakers in your front seven.

During my career, you needed a great defensive line. The Purple People Eaters in Minnesota, the Fearsome Foursome in Los Angeles, the Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh, the front line of the Doomsday Defense in Dallas: Those defensive fronts dominated games.

I would say Lawrence Taylor changed the equation to include dominant pass-rushing linebackers, too. Today, linebackers are the most athletic players on your defense, with an unmatched combination of size, strength and speed.

On the winning play in overtime Sunday, Barr showed the awareness and strength to strip the ball, the athleticism to scoop it up and the speed to get to the end zone. Not many guys like that in the NFL. The Vikings’ defense is playing great, and Barr is the kind of star in the front seven that you can build around, with the ability to make plays all over the field.

The Vikings did a great job getting him at No. 9 in the draft in May. I’m betting the teams that picked ahead of Minnesota regret passing on Barr now. In my hometown of Atlanta, I think the Falcons wish they had a pass rusher instead of a work-in-progress offensive tackle. When you have a top pick, you’re looking to fill the most important spots on your team, and that means getting your quarterback situation right and finding those elite playmakers in your front seven. Barr is one of those guys. That’s how to use a top-10 pick.

Mike Zimmer is a great defensive coach, and he is building a really impressive defensive unit. Not only do the Vikings have Barr making big plays, but Everson Griffen is getting to the quarterback, Harrison Smith is playing great at safety, and others are making big contributions.

As an expansion team, the Vikings started winning consistently when they had Jim Marshall, Carl Eller and Alan Page all making huge plays. When it’s that many guys disrupting the other team’s offense, you have something special.

At the other cornerstone spot, Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings’ other first-round pick in May, is a work in progress. I still really like him, and I think he will continue to get better. Despite facing lots of pressure, he was sacked only once against the Bucs, and he ran an impressive two-minute drill to tie the score and send the game to overtime.

The young trio of Bridgewater, McKinnon and Patterson has a real chance to be special for the Vikings. Overall, I would like to see Teddy get rid of the ball a little quicker, and I think he has the ability to figure that out.

But when it’s all said and done, the Vikings’ 2014 draft class could be something pretty special, with players at the two most important positions in football. Enjoy watching Anthony Barr over these next years, Vikings fans.

Fran Tarkenton is Minnesota Vikings analyst for TwinCities.com and the Pioneer Press. He is a former Vikings quarterback and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also is an advocate for small businesses and the founder of www.GoSmallBiz.com. Follow Fran at twitter.com/Fran_Tarkenton.