For Minnesota Vikings fans, the 1998 NFL Draft is an event that will forever be remembered as one of the most important in the history of the franchise. That is, of course, because it resulted in the selection of Randy Moss, who went on to become one of the most iconic players to ever suit up for the Vikings.
It's crazy to look back and realize that Moss wasn't even the first wide receiver picked in the 1998 NFL Draft. That honor went to Kevin Dyson at pick No. 16 to the Tennessee Titans. Dyson went on to have a solid career with multiple memorable moments, but his time in the league was nothing compared to what Moss was able to do in his NFL career.
20 teams passed on drafting the Hall of Fame wide receiver in 1998 before Minnesota made the decision to select him with the 21st overall pick. In the decade that followed, Moss made sure to do everything he could to fill all 20 of those teams with an endless amount of regret for not drafting him.
Minnesota Vikings alter football history with Randy Moss selection in 1998 NFL Draft
Going into the 1998 NFL Draft, wide receiver wasn't exactly a glaring need for the Vikings. In the previous four years, Minnesota's passing attack was led by receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed, who both finished with at least 1,000 receiving yards in every season from 1994 to 1997.
Despite the success of Carter and Reed, the Vikings still went ahead and drafted Moss in 1998. The decision ended up transforming Minnesota's offense into one of the most dominating units in NFL history.
With their new rookie receiver tearing up the field, the Vikings offense averaged 34.8 points per game and set a new NFL record for points scored in a single season. That record has since been broken, but at the time, it seemed like Minnesota was ahead of the curve when it came to relentlessly putting points up on the scoreboard.
When it came to Moss, it took him no time at all to make an impact. From his juggling first-career NFL touchdown catch in a Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to his outstanding debut on the national stage in a Monday night victory over the Green Bay Packers, to a masterpiece of a performance on Thanksgiving against the Dallas Cowboys, the young receiver put together one of the best rookie seasons by any player in the history of the league.
Moss finished his rookie campaign with 69 catches, 1,313 yards, and 17 touchdowns, and despite the Vikings falling short of their ultimate goal in 1998, it was clear that the team had landed an immediate superstar a few months earlier in the NFL Draft.
After his first year with Minnesota, Moss went on to have a magnificent pro career, filled with 10 seasons of 1,000 receiving yards or more and a total of 156 touchdown catches.
His size and speed is something that had never really been seen in the NFL before 1998, and arguably, it's something that still hasn't ever been duplicated by anyone in the league.
Moss is one of best players to ever step foot on an NFL field, and it's safe to say that Vikings fans are still very thankful for the awful decision that those 20 teams made in the Spring of 1998.