Minnesota Vikings: 15 best first-round draft picks of all time

Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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Exploding out of the gate would be the polite way to describe the NFL’s introduction to Randy Moss in 1998. As a rookie, the young Vikings receiver finished with 69 catches for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns.

His 17 touchdown receptions in 1998 is still an NFL single-season rookie record.

Moss would go on to finish six of his first seven years in Minnesota with at least 65 catches, 1,200 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. No other receiver in league history has had more receiving yards in their first six seasons than Moss’ 8,375 from 1998 to 2003.

Five of the receiver’s six career Pro Bowl invites and three of his four career All-Pro First-Team selections came during the first seven years of his time in the NFL while he was with the Vikings.

Despite only playing a little more than half of his pro career in Minnesota, Moss still has the second-most touchdown catches, receiving yards and total receptions in team history.

Back in February, the former Vikings receiver became the latest to get voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Unlike Minnesota’s other first-round draft selections that are also in the Hall of Fame, Moss was selected during his very first appearance on the ballot.

– AP