5 bold questions for the Minnesota Vikings offense in 2020
By Chris Schad
Did the Vikings do enough behind their top receivers?
Stefon Diggs may be off to western New York, but the same question still surrounds the Vikings receivers for 2020.
After trying to find someone to step up behind Diggs and Adam Thielen, Minnesota was chained to two-receiver sets last season as Laquon Treadwell, Chad Beebe, and others never answered the call.
This year, Minnesota added Justin Jefferson with the first-round draft pick they acquired in the Diggs trade. But this basically just put the Vikings back in the same situation. They still have their two stud receivers, but what happens when they need someone to step up?
The favorite in this regard is second-year receiver, Olabisi Johnson. His rookie season turned out better than most Minnesota receivers in the recent past. But his stat line of 31 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns was disappointing when one considers he was thrust into the starting lineup when Thielen went down with a hamstring injury.
Behind Johnson is a group of mediocrity as the Vikings added Tajae Sharpe in free agency this year and K.J. Osborn in the draft to go along with Beebe, who can’t seem to stay on the field.
There’s a good chance that Minnesota may not need a third guy to step up if Thielen and Jefferson do their jobs, but this limits what Gary Kubiak can do offensively.
If nobody becomes the third option, Kubiak’s visions of using Jefferson and Thielen all over the formation go out the window and the Vikings essentially stay the way they’ve been since ditching the pass-happy ways of former offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.