In what aspects does Minnesota Vikings Adam Thielen perform better than former teammate Stefon Diggs?
A usual disclaimer: the purpose of this article is not to tell you that Adam Thielen is a better wide receiver than Stefon Diggs. In nearly every surface-level metric, the two players are comparable, even virtually equal in some parameters. In fact, it’s eerie in the most Spider-Man meme way possible.
Because Adam Thielen remains on the Vikings while Diggs was unloaded to the Buffalo Bills, this article will analyze what Thielen has done better in his career than Diggs.
In the interest of disclosure and objectivity, a lucid argument can be made that Diggs is the more valuable asset as he is 1,195 days younger than Thielen.
In terms of productivity, Thielen and Diggs are bedfellows. Diggs has scored three more touchdowns that Thielen in their respective careers. As for receptions and yards, Diggs has 42 more catches and about 300 more yards because he played a bulk of the regular season in 2015 whereas Thielen was primarily a special teams specialist. Lastly, Diggs has six more receptions of 40+ yards in his career–so, he has been a more pronounced deep threat.
And that’s about it.
The bulk of the following comparisons are adjudicated from 2016-2019 as that is when both men joined forces as the unmistakable top two wide receivers for the Vikings. Also note, in the last four years, Thielen has played 58 games; Diggs 57 games.