The Minnesota Vikings and every other team around the league spend months and countless hours each year preparing for the next NFL Draft. By the time April rolls around, the entire sports world has a good idea of which players will be selected in the first round.
However, personnel departments across the league heavily scrutinize their second and third-day potential picks. History is full of players selected in the second round or later who rise to the challenge to become the best in the business.
The Vikings posted a 9-7 record in a 1993 season that ended with a wild-card playoff loss to the New York Giants. Minnesota wanted to reload in the 1994 NFL Draft and push deeper in the 1994 playoffs. Of the eight draft picks the Vikings made in 1994, six of the players ended up as starters or were significant contributors during their time with the franchise.
Washington was a no-brainer for the Vikings, as the team needed help at cornerback. During Washington’s final two seasons in college, he snagged seven interceptions, including four as a senior in 1993.
Minnesota couldn’t have been happier with their selection as Washington started all 16 games as a rookie and picked off three passes (returning two for scores) while bagging 75 total tackles. He started every game in two of his next three seasons with Minny and was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
After the 1997 season, Washington became a free agent, and the Pittsburgh Steelers swooped in to sign him. Six seasons in the Steel City led to one year each in Jacksonville and Kansas City then Washington retired after the 2005 season.
During his four years as a Viking, Washington had 10 interceptions, three pick-sixes, two fumble recoveries (returning one for a touchdown), and 296 combined tackles.
One pick after Washington, Minnesota hit pay dirt again when they selected Steussie. During his time with Cal, Steussie was an All-American, three-time All-PAC-10, and received the Morris Trophy in 1993 as the best lineman in the Pac-10 Conference.
The Vikings wanted a tackle to start on the opposite side of Chris Hinton, and they couldn’t have done better. Steussie started every game as a rookie and continued to be a stalwart at left tackle for the franchise through the 2000 season.
