The Minnesota Vikings knew that trading star receiver Stefon Diggs in March would come with consequences. The talented receiver made headlines after Week 4 of the 2019 season by skipping practice (claiming he was sick) but his frustrations with the offense that had been simmering all off-season had finally gotten right out in front of the public. On only 63 receptions, Diggs still racked up 1,130 yards in the air and six touchdowns, but his off-field antics became too much. Minnesota traded him away, wiping away locker room distractions but leaving a glaring void on offense.
Part of the trade with the Buffalo Bills included the Vikings receiving the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft. There, they selected Justin Jefferson to help replace Diggs. Though talented and highly touted out of college, it will take time for Jefferson to work into the starting lineup. He, along with several other role players, will collectively have to help fill Diggs’ void.
Filling Stefon Diggs Void Will Be No Easy Task for the Minnesota Vikings
Rookie Receivers Start Slow
While people will call to the fact that the trade of Diggs will help the Vikings within the salary cap as well, the on-field impact will be hard to replicate. Diggs’ 1,130 yards was good for 17th in the league. Meanwhile, only one rookie cracked 1,000 yards receiving in 2019, two more eclipsed 900, and an additional eight topped 500 yards.
Jefferson has the skill set to grow in the Vikings offense, but with a team that loves to rely on its run game, he is already going to have a tough time reaching 1,000 yards. Throw in the coronavirus pandemic, and Jefferson has a steeper climb than receivers in previous years as he will be way behind the learning curve in 2020.
Solid Young Role Players Will Need to Step Up
With rookies like Jefferson playing catch-up most of the season, the Vikings will need to rely on other young but experienced players to step up. Seventh-round pick Olabisi Johnson was a pleasant surprise for Minnesota in 2019. Johnson made the most of his opportunities, catching 31 passes for 294 and three touchdowns. With a full off-season under his belt, watch for Johnson to become a consistent number three receiver.
Another rookie to watch for is actually second-year tight end Irv Smith, Jr. As a backup, Smith played both as an in-line tight end and was split out in the slot at other times with fellow tight end Kyle Rudolph. Smith, like Johnson, made an impression, catching 36 passes for 311 yards and two scores. Smith can continue to be a weapon even if he is still TE2 in Minnesota, and with a smaller frame than Rudolph, sometimes appears to look like a (big) natural receiver on the field.
The Vikings also brought in fifth-year receiver Tajae Sharpe this off-season. The 6’2″, 200-pound wideout missed all of 2017 with a foot injury and hasn’t been the same since his 41-reception, 522-yard rookie season. Still, Sharpe brings size to a receiving corps that doesn’t bear resemblance to the Timberwolves. If he can stay healthy and contribute, Sharpe could become a sneaky off-season pickup for Minnesota.
Can Beebe Stay Healthy?
Perhaps no one was more disappointing in 2019 for the Vikings than Chad Beebe. After rave reviews in camp during the 2018 and 2019 off-seasons, Beebe saw both his seasons cut short due to injury. This was especially frustrating in 2019 because Beebe was counted on to be the team’s slot receiver.
The Vikings may already be preparing to move on from Beebe because of his injury history, but with such an odd off-season, he may have leverage in staying with the team. If he can stay healthy, he could be just what the Vikings need to ease Jefferson into the offense. Without a healthy or productive Beebe, Jefferson and other receivers may be forced to play out of position and, consequently, not perform to the best of their abilities.
So Who Will Likely Fill Diggs’ Shoes?
The answer is, simply, no singular player. No one player can replicate Diggs’ big-play ability in the deep passing game. Jefferson may morph into a Diggs-like player in the intermediate game, but at this point, he is not on Diggs’ level. Johnson is solid but will never command safety attention.
So the Vikings will have to approach the 2020 (and following) seasons not searching for the “next Diggs”. Replacing a top-10 receiver is no easy task. Like in the movie Moneyball, the Vikings will need to replace a star not by looking for one player to replicate the former player’s success, but by looking at younger options and finding ways that they can collectively impact Minnesota as much as Stefon Diggs did.
