Minnesota Vikings represent on NFLPA’s Rising 50 list
By Adam Carlson
The NFL feels pretty good about the future of the Minnesota VIkings, as 2 of their players were named to the NFLPA’s Rising 50 list of potential stars.
When talking about the future of the NFL, many people talk about potential wins, Super Bowl runs, or projected statistics. However, the NFLPA has a way of looking ahead at these players who haven’t quite hit superstar status yet that fans don’t often think about.
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Recently the NFLPA put together a list of the top 50 players in the league in terms of merchandise sold. This is a standard thing the group does to show which players are good for teams to market and which ones fans just can’t seem to get enough of. They get that data by looking at the players consumers are willing to spend their hard-earned money on.
But what about the players who haven’t ever made this list? Well, the NFLPA constructed a list called Rising 50 containing players who haven’t broken into their top 50 in sales in the past years, but could have the potential to be there in the future.
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Here is the statement from the NFLPA about the Rising 50 list:
"“We strive to provide partners with a depth of player knowledge they can’t get anywhere else,” said Steve Scebelo, NFLPA vice president of business development and licensing. “And, through resources like the Rising 50 list, we can encourage them to create more products that represent an even wider variety of players who have so many unique characteristics.”"
This year, two members of the Minnesota Vikings made this list. That isn’t a surprise, as the team has some of the best young rising stars in the NFL. Here are the Vikings who made the list:
- Stefon Diggs, WR (#33)
- Laquon Treadwell, WR (#45)
Of course, many of the other Minnesota Vikings players weren’t eligible for the list because of previously being included in their top 50 lists. Congratulations to Diggs and Treadwell for being recognized as rising stars.
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It should also be mentioned that the NFLPA’s Rising 50 list shouldn’t be used to judge players’ ability. For example. a guy like Xavier Rhodes is a fantastic part of the Minnesota Vikings organization, but he won’t have the kind of marketability and visibility as quarterbacks, running backs, or wide receivers.