Minnesota Vikings all-time 53-man roster: Mike Zimmer era

Wide Receivers

WR1 – Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson exploded out of the gate during the final two years of the Mike Zimmer era in Minnesota. Jefferson broke multiple Vikings and NFL records in his two seasons under Zimmer, not that the former head coach even cared.

WR2 – Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs emerged in 2015 as a fiery rookie that had an in-your-face playing style that fit in well with the roster that Zimmer wanted in his locker room.

Diggs’ impressive abilities probably weren’t used as much as they should have been during the Zimmer era. However, no other Minnesota receiver caught more passes, gained more receiving yards, or found the end zone more than Diggs did during his five years with the franchise (2015 to 2019).

WR3 – Adam Thielen

In terms of career receiving numbers during the Zimmer era, Adam Thielen is at the top of the list. Thielen first got his start under the former Vikings head coach as a special teamer. Then he got multiple opportunities to start at receiver in 2016 and he never looked back.

WR4 – Jarius Wright

At the No. 4 spot is the guy who ranks fourth in receiving yards among Minnesota wide receivers during the Zimmer era. Jarius Wright never put up monster numbers during his time under the former Vikings head coach, but he always seemed to get open whenever his quarterbacks needed an important third-down conversion.

WR5/KR – Cordarrelle Patterson

If Zimmer were making this roster, he probably would have just gone with four receivers. But to leave off one of the best kick returners in NFL history would feel like a giant mistake.

Speaking of mistakes, Minnesota’s former head coach probably wishes he was able to utilize Cordarrelle Patterson’s skills in a better way like other teams were able to do after the receiver’s departure from the Twin Cities in 2017.