5 biggest concerns for the Vikings following the 2019 preseason
By Nik Edlund
Wide receiver depth
The Vikings have one of the best, if not the best, wide receiver duo in the NFL in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. But after them, things get thin in a hurry.
Chad Beebe is likely going to be the No. 3 wideout when Minnesota opens up against the Falcons in Week 1. The issue with Beebe is he actually looked terrible in the Vikings’ preseason games this year.
He was running the wrong routes at times and it led to incompletions and interceptions. Beebe also had a couple of bad drops. For an undersized guy whose hands and smarts are supposed to be his strong suits, seeing him fail to haul in passes is very concerning.
Rookie receiver Bisi Johnson had a great preseason for Minnesota this year and he will probably open the season as the team’s fourth receiver (maybe even the third). Johnson had some fantastic catches in the Vikings’ recent exhibition games and he could develop into a dependable target for Kirk Cousins this year.
Whoever ends up as Minnesota’s fifth receiver (assuming they pick up someone else before the season begins), it doesn’t really matter that much.
If the Vikings get to the point where they are relying on the bottom of their receiving depth chart, they are going to be in trouble. Minnesota had about nine receivers in camp this year and the ones they kept (outside of Thielen and Diggs) were more of the best of what they had rather than the best of the best.
The Vikings’ receiving depth behind their dynamic duo is scary. So Minnesota will definitely be hoping Diggs and Thielen can stay healthy all season long.