Minnesota Vikings |
Height: 6-0 Weight:
191 Age: 24
Born: 11/29/1993 Alexandria,
VA
College: Maryland
Experience: 4th season
High School: Our Lady of Good
Counsel HS [Olney, MD]
The Perception:
When Stefon Diggs entered the NFL, the casual fan really had no
idea how talented the former fifth round selection out of Maryland truly was.
Diggs started his career slow missing the first three contests of that 2015
inaugural season, only to showcase his abilities in week four of his rookie
season. Word began to travel quick, as on a weekly basis Stefon was able to
create plays in bunches generating great statistics in the process. Over the
course of his three-year NFL career, Diggs is proving his development with consistency
and regularity on the field.
Stefon Diggs currently holds two debatable perceptions that
could be difficult to defend in discussion circles; one being his inability to
complete a full season without injury, and the other suggests he isn’t a true
number one wide receiver talent as he’s yet to find his way to a 1000 yard
campaign. While it’s become a difficult task to defend his injury history
(missing eight games in three years) the production on the field is something
we will jump to protect not allowing others to devalue what Diggs has been able
to accomplish thus far. First, the Vikings have employed a trio of starting
quarterbacks (Bridgewater, Bradford, Keenum), since Stefon arrived in Minnesota
which isn’t conducive in developing a keen sense of chemistry year-over-year,
but Diggs always found a way to be productive. While we can agree in reviewing
his current stats on paper, they do appear underwhelming, never seeing a full
slate of games essentially derailing his ability to find that magic mark (1000
yards) that all receivers strive to achieve.
As we enter the 2018 season, Diggs is on the cusp of making
himself a house hold name in the league only three years in, which is rather impressive
given where he was chosen in the NFL draft. Thus far Stefon has definitely
exceeded expectations while the masses begin to praise the Vikings receiving
core to potentially rival the best in the league, especially with the new
edition of their starting pivot Kirk Cousins. From where we sit and the
opinions we hear, some have become enamored with Diggs for the upcoming campaign
while others still want to see more proof that he could become the true number
one receiver leaving perceptions vastly different at this point of the offseason.
The Reality:
The excitement couldn’t be any higher when discussing the
Minnesota Vikings as it finally seems they have their true franchise
quarterback to help elevate this well rounded squad to be Super Bowl contenders
right out of the gate. It’s known within the Viking walls that if Minnesota
would challenge for the ultimate prize of hoisting the Lombardi trophy, locking
up their star players such as Diggs was a top priority. Following the trend of
successfully recruiting Cousins to the fold, Minnesota rewarded Diggs with a
new lucrative contract spanning five more seasons equating to a handsome raise
of 72 million with 40 million of that fully guaranteed. With the formality of
business now in the rear view, Minnesota continues to implement their system to
their new quarterback watching chemistry being built with Kirk and Diggs on a
daily basis.
When we go back and review the statistics Diggs has been able to
achieve over his career, the 2016 season was clearly his best campaign while
only playing thirteen contests in the process. While speculation is part of evaluating
future results, we feel that season appropriately represents what Stefon Diggs
truly is; as you multiply his averages to compare a full sixteen game success
rate and productivity. In 2016, Diggs generated a healthy 84 receptions going
for 903 yards and 3 touchdowns over that span. Had Stefon played the entire
slate, his projected pace would’ve garnered 103 receptions amassing 1111
receiving yards and 4 touchdowns, clearly showing a career best and placing him
in the conversations as one of the better pass catchers in the NFL. While his
touchdown production wasn’t anything to write home about in his first two
years, Diggs became friendly with the endzone last season proving he could
become a dangerous weapon securing 8 touchdowns, continuing to show his great
ability and progression as a complete wide receiver.
Whenever we dive into the Vikings depth chart our excitement only
compounds further seeing the amount of talent that could produce large numbers consistently
this upcoming season. A few question marks could arise and would be directed to
the Dalvin Cook recovery and the health of that offensive line potentially
hurting Diggs outlook. We are great advocates in supporting a great run attack
to assist the pass game allowing receivers to see weaker coverages with
safeties having to account for running backs while stacking the box. While the
Vikings do have good depth at the running back position, a fully recovered
Dalvin Cook would only increase the stock of Stefon Diggs finally hitting statistics
which are appropriate to his skillset.
The Outlook:
It’s clear that some still don’t view Stefon Diggs as a true
number one receiving treat suggesting his teammate Adam Thielen is the better
producer and has shown it over the last two seasons with greater regularity.
Though that argument is becoming more difficult to reject, we feel in this new
offense there will be plenty of balls to go around creating a one-two punch
that most defenses will fear come gameday. Admittedly, it took us a while to
come around on the overall skillset and potential production Diggs could
create, but entering this season with Cousins leading the way, we have no issue
endorsing Stefon to see career numbers on a squad that should be electric
week-in, week-out. Some also argue the fact that the Minnesota offense could
lose opportunity with a defense as great as the Vikings employ, suggesting less
passing at the end of contests and more running the clock to secure the victory.
While the argument is valid, this offense should become so dynamic that the
scoreboard would show a multitude of points leaving the top playmakers
stat-sheet full before they enter the fourth quarter. The only concern from our
end regarding Diggs 2018 outlook would again be the loss of games due to
injury. If he can remain on the field for the entire season, we so no reason
Stefon couldn’t hit top end numbers on the campaign.
From the fantasy football perspective, while Adam Thielen out
preformed and out produced Diggs for the final tallies on the season, Stefon
still managed to finish as the 19th best receiver in the league in
PPR (Point Per Reception) formats. Diggs produced 198.2 total points, giving him a very solid average of 14.2 points per game which appropriately
placed him in the top ten earners in the per game producing category, quite
impressive. It’s clear the fantasy community is beginning to buy-in on shares
of Diggs as we continue to move forward with mock drafts seeing his ADP
(Average Draft Position), currently sitting at 31 with a low dropping into the
50’s. Projecting the value Diggs could provide selecting him in the third to
fifth rounds, we are completely on-board. ADF fully endorses the potential for
Stefon to generate in the realm of 80-90 receptions going for 1000-1150 yards,
and finding the endzone anywhere from 6-10 times this season. Baring health and
lost time, Diggs should become a great WR-1 in 2018 as the Vikings continue to
roll.
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