Minnesota Vikings 2019 in Review: Grading the offense
By Chris Schad
Wide Receivers
The wide receiver position got messy for the Vikings this year as they shifted from a pass-happy attack that produced video game numbers to one that was based on efficiency. As a result, Stefon Diggs had an up-and-down year off the field thanks to 55 fewer targets than he saw in 2019.
That doesn’t mean that Diggs didn’t have a great year. The 26-year-old set a career-high in receiving yards with 1,130 and recorded six touchdowns while carrying the slack left behind in the wake of Adam Thielen’s hamstring injury.
Thielen’s 2019 was a little incomplete as he spent nearly half the year on the sideline with a hamstring injury. When he was on the field, however, he was effective, catching 30 passes for 418 yards and six touchdowns and ranking 11th in QB rating when targeted (131.9).
Both Diggs and Thielen showed no signs of slowing down in 2019, which should persuade the Vikings coaching staff to figure out how to get them more involved in 2020. With both receivers remaining in the top echelon at their position, there has to be a way to give them more volume while not sacrificing the efficiency that Zimmer craves.
Outside of Diggs and Thielen, there wasn’t much to write home about. Olabisi Johnson had a solid year out of Colorado State, but the seventh-round draft pick didn’t do much to inflate his perceived ceiling with 31 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns.
The Vikings spent the rest of the year carrying just four receivers on the roster including having a fling with Josh Doctson and bringing back Laquon Treadwell out of necessity. Minnesota won’t suddenly turn into a team willing to chuck it down the field, but some depth at the receiver position would be a nice priority considering the talent that lurks in the 2020 draft class.