Minnesota Vikings Player Profile: Stefon Diggs

One Minnesota Vikings’ rookie who has been talked about a lot this offseason so far is rookie wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

His resume from his college days at Maryland (career totals of 150 receptions, 2,227 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns plus 1,692 total punt and kick return yards and two scores) combined with his offseason in OTA’s and at mini camp, grabbing the attention of players and coaches, warrants a deeper look into Diggs as a player and potential play maker for the Vikings in 2015.

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So, who is Stefon Diggs?

Diggs is a 6’0″, 195-pound, wide receiver who is most commonly referred to as a utility “Swiss Army Knife” receiver who can make plays from all over the field: on the outside, in the slot, in the backfield and as a punt and kick returner.

Yes, please.

All you really have to do is watch Diggs’ college highlights and the early clips of him on the Vikings website to see that these claims are nothing short of the truth.

His speed, athleticism and quick route running in and out of breaks definitely put him in the driver’s seat for some success as a rookie this season.

Right after the Vikings selected Stefon Diggs in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft, Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune wrote a short piece about the addition of Diggs to our offense.

Tesfatsion had this to say about our new rookie wide receiver:

"“Mike Wallace. Charles Johnson. Cordarrelle Patterson. Jarius Wright. There’s already a lot of speed at wide receiver, and the Vikings brought in more with Diggs. It’s not that he can just fly down the field, but his biggest strength is how quickly he can change direction and accelerate. It’s like that kid in the backyard that would always try and fake someone out to get more yards, except it actually works with Diggs and he doesn’t look stupid doing those stutter steps or head jabs against much better competition.”"

Tesfatsion continued, adding the following about Diggs:

Sep 27, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

"“Diggs consistently gained yards after the catch in college because he was quick and moved so well laterally. Per Football Focus, Diggs led all wide receivers in this class with 9.3 yards after catch against Power 5 teams. Diggs has great hands and rarely dropped passes despite terrible quarterback play. That’s mainly due to his big hands, measured at 10 inches at the NFL Combine, and coordination.”"

Certainly high praises all around for Diggs and his ability to make moves and get down the field. All things that will be more than welcomed in this hoping-to-be-fast-as-hell 2015 Vikings offense.

So what can be expected from Stefon Diggs, considering that he is in a very deep and overall seemingly experienced group of wide receivers this year?

Here are my Top-5 Diggs predictions for 2015 and why:

Prediction: Stefon Diggs is going to be a standout, breakout, whatever you want to call it, player at Vikings training camp in Mankato…Why?: Every year there is a rookie who seems to captivate fans and surprise people. Fans love offense and speed. Coaches love speed and play makers. Diggs fits the bill.
Prediction: Not only will Stefon Diggs stand out in training camp, but he will also see significant time in preseason games and make the most of that time by making some big plays…Why?: Because Norv Turner needs to see what his rookie Swiss Army Knife can do in real games and because Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson will see limited time in the preseason. Great opportunity for Diggs to showcase his talent. My bet is that he will and then some.
Prediction: Diggs’ big plays at wide receiver and returning punts and kickoffs in preseason will lead to a possible Cordarrelle Patterson/Marcus Sherels unseating heading into the regular season…Why?: Watch the highlights of Diggs returning kicks and punts in college and that should be enough reason right there. Plus, I’m still not sold on Patterson or Sherels as our always and forever kickoff and punt return guys.
Prediction: Watch out Jarius Wright – if Diggs makes enough big plays on the field, his style and Maryland days warrant a potential solid slot receiver. I think Diggs could steal some time from one of my favorite Vikings in Wright…Why?: Because this is where Diggs will have to play if he does enough to get on the field a lot in our offense.
Prediction: Fans are going to want Stefon Diggs on the field this year…Why?: Diggs could be the Vikings’ Percy Harvin 2.0. Just get him the ball and let him make plays as a returner, wide receiver, slot guy, running back, etc. Something tells me this could happen.

I am well aware that these are some pretty bold predictions for a rookie who has more than enough competition at his position, but I’ve been a fan of Stefon Diggs since his days at Maryland and I think that he can make a splash right away.

As with all preseason thoughts and predictions, time will show if there’s any proof in the pudding.

Either way, I am really excited to see if we have another Percy-esque play maker on our hands (minus the BS and drama of course).

We all know that our offense could always use another weapon. And I’d be more than happy if that weapon were a Swiss Army Knife.

What do you all think and expect from Stefon Diggs? Let me know below.

Next: Vikings Player Profile: Rookie Tight End MyCole Pruitt

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