Minnesota Vikings: 10 best second round draft picks of all time

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SAN FRANCISCO – OCOTBER 3: Wide receiver Qadry Ismail #82 of the Minnesota Vikings battles for extra yards against Wesley Walls #89 and Adrian Hardy #45 of the San Francisco 49ers during the game at Candlestick Park on October 3, 1993 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 38-19. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

10. Qadry Ismail, wide receiver/kick returner

So what if Qadry Ismail only started nine games on offense for the Minnesota Vikings as a wide receiver and only spent four seasons with the team? In that short time, he established himself as one of the best kick return specialists in the league while serving as a solid option in the passing game.

A second-round selection in the 1993 NFL Draft out of Syracuse, Ismail averaged an impressive 22.3 yards per kickoff return despite “The Rocket” never bringing one to the house for a touchdown.

He did have two impressive seasons as a receiver, gaining 696 yards and scoring five touchdowns in 1994 and following that up with 597 yards and three more scores in 1995, proving he wasn’t just a one-dimensional player.

Ismail finished his Vikings career with 1,856 and 12 touchdowns to go with an astounding 3,273 kick return yards in his 63 games played in Minnesota. Still, fans will always remember “The Rocket” being a spark in the field position battle thanks to his hefty returns.

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