Ranking every Vikings wide receiver drafted in the first round

1. Randy Moss (1998)

To no surprise, the best wide receiver ever taken in the first round by the Vikings is Randy Moss. In fact, Moss is the best wide receiver the Vikings have drafted in any round. Taken with the 21st pick in the 1998 draft, 19 teams passed on Moss including Cincinnati who had had the 13th and 17th picks that year.

During his rookie season, Moss was a part of the most dynamic offense in Vikings’ franchise history. The Vikings won 15 games that season as Moss finished with 69 receptions for 1,313 yards, and led the NFL with 17 touchdown catches. That season the NFL named the NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

In his career, Moss would twice more lead the NFL in touchdown receptions with 15 touchdowns catches in 2000 and 17 again in 2003. Only once in his seven seasons with the Vikings did he fail to amass more than 1,000 receiving yards. In 2004, he was limited to only 13 games due to a hamstring injury.

Moss spent eight of his 15 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and finished second in franchise history with 587 receptions, 9,316 yards, and 92 touchdowns. From 1998 to 2001, Moss teamed up with Cris Carter, the franchise-receiving leader, as one of the best receiving duos ever to play in the NFL.

In his career, Moss caught 983 passes for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns. In 2018 Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.