5 best Vikings deep-ball receivers of the last decade
By Dustin Baker
No. 1 – Stefon Diggs, Wide Receiver (2015-2019)
- 40+ Yard Completions in 2019: 17
- Percentage to Total Pass Targets: 3.18
It had to be him, right?
Stefon Diggs‘ 3.18 percent of catches to target that netted 40+ yard gains is certainly commendable. But, for perspective, it pales in comparison to Vikings legend Randy Moss. Five percent of all balls thrown to Moss during his Vikings career resulted in gains over 40 yards. Talk about a gold standard.
The current Buffalo Bills wideout saw his deep-ball catching prowess spike when Kirk Cousins joined the team. Prior to the arrival of Cousins, Diggs brought down seven receptions of 40+ yards–in three seasons. When Cousins came to town, this surged to 10 in two seasons.
A sound argument can be made that nobody in the Vikings organization benefited more from the addition of Kirk Cousins than Stefon Diggs. And, Kirk Cousins was distributing deep passes long before he got to Minnesota. From 2015 to 2017, Cousins completed 30 passes of 40+ yards with the Washington Football Team.
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The temptation is to speculate that Diggs put Cousins on the map regarding the deep-passing game. Instead, it’s the opposite. Diggs became a deep-ball threat when Minnesota asked Kirk Cousins to sign on the dotted line.
And, as of late, Diggs has done it mightily.