Washington Redskins: 15 best draft day steals of all-time

For too many people it seems, special teams is nothing special. It’s the part of football that doesn’t matter. The part of football where you can cut corners, and give yourself leeway.

Redskins return specialist Brian Mitchell helped teach the NFL that it’s a place where you can gain an advantage.

Mitchell was selected in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Joining Washington at the tail end of their dynastic campaign, Mitchell didn’t see the team for long at the height of its glory. But he put his stamp on the dynasty anyway, with early contributions as a returner.

In 1991, the Redskins’ third Super Bowl season, Mitchell logged almost 1,200 total return yards and two punt return touchdowns. Three years later, he put up a pair of punt return touchdowns again, cementing his status as a force to be reckoned with when fielding the football.

The next year in 1995, Mitchell was recognized as both a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro for his contributions. He’d logged another punt return touchdown that year, and he’d amassed a whopping 1,408 yards on kick returns.

At the end of his 10-year run with the Redskins, Mitchell had scored nine total return touchdowns; seven on punts and two on kickoffs. With 388 carries and 255 catches over the course of his career to add to his résumé, Mitchell was the all-purpose weapon all teams long to snag late in the NFL Draft.