6 mid-round prospects in play for the Vikings at the 2020 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
Antonio Gandy-Golden – WR (Liberty)
The Vikings have little depth behind the star wide receiver duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, as witnessed by the team bringing back the hugely disappointing Laquon Treadwell following his initial release before the start of the 2019 season.
Antonio Gandy-Golden is an imposing figure at 6-foot-4 and he has enjoyed two very productive seasons at Liberty, notching 20 touchdowns and 2,433 yards on 150 receptions.
His hand-eye coordination is another very impressive feature of his play, as is his ability to conjure up yards after the catch if he breaks the first tackle.
The receiver represents a size mismatch and he would benefit significantly from single coverage given the experience and consistency of Thielen and Diggs. So a landing spot on Minnesota’s roster would be a mutually beneficial arrangement for all parties concerned should it come to fruition.
There are other glaring needs that will gather more focus from the organization’s perspective. But the lack of creativity within the Vikings’ offense when either Thielen or Dalvin Cook were injured in 2019 made things very predictable for opposing defenses.
Having someone like Gandy-Golden out wide, and particularly in the red zone, would do more harm than good for Minnesota’s opponents, especially when one considers just how much potential he has.
Rookie receivers sometimes tend to need more time to acclimate themselves to the NFL more than most positions. But learning the trade from arguably the best tandem in the entire league when they are at their best would be invaluable for Gandy-Golden.