3 growing Vikings draft needs since the start of free agency
By Nik Edlund
Wide Receiver
After denying they were going to do it multiple times, the Vikings finally traded disgruntled wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills last week.
Minnesota got a nice haul for the star by getting a first, fifth, and sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, and a fourth-round selection in 2021. While that is fair compensation, losing Diggs makes a need the Vikings already had even greater.
Prior to the Diggs trade, Minnesota just lacked depth at the wide receiver position. Bisi Johnson is the only receiver on the roster besides Adam Thielen who will certainly be on the team in 2020. Now the Vikings have to find a potential starter to lineup across from Thielen, as well as fleshing out the entire depth chart.
Luckily for Minnesota, the 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with receiving talent. It’s one of the deepest receiving classes ever and the Vikings should be able to find solid contributors deep into Day 3 of the draft.
Still, Minnesota needs to replace the star power that Diggs brought to the team, so they could very well look to address this position as early as the first round.
There’s a slim chance one of the top three receivers, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, or CeeDee Lamb fall to the Vikings pick No. 22, but it’s unlikely. Minnesota fans should get themselves familiar with names like Justin Jefferson, Denzel Mims, Tee Higgins, and Laviska Shenault.
The Vikings could still add a wide receiver in free agency this year. But with the 2020 draft pool being chock full of receiving talent, they will likely add at least two pass catchers to the roster this April.