When the Minnesota Vikings drafted Laquon Treadwell, the expectation was that Treadwell and Stefon Diggs would be the Minnesota Vikings primary receivers. Their primary complement would be tight end Kyle Rudolph with Jerrick McKinnon playing a role as a receiving back out of the backfield. As has been the case with pretty much everything Minnesota Vikings-related so far this year, that plan didn't pan out.
Treadwell has barely seen the field. He's buried deep behind Diggs, Adam Thielen, Cordarrelle Patterson and Charles Johnson. That surprise is paired with a second as it's neither Johnson or Patterson who have taken his expected role.
Adam Thielen had caught 20 passes in his career before this season. He had played just two years, starting twice in each season. Thielen reached 20 receptions after just five games this year. His production peaked in Week 5 against the Houston Texans when he caught seven passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Thielen has 518 yards and three touchdowns on 37 receptions so far this season. Those are modest numbers in a vacuum but in the Vikings' offense he is accounting for 15.7 percent of the team's completions, 21.3 percent of the yards and 25 percent of the touchdowns.
In other words, if Thielen was playing in a more effective passing game he likely would be producing at a significantly higher rate.
Explosiveness, ball skills and precision have made Thielen an effective player this year. He isn't being schemed open or creating yards after the catch like a kick returner. Thielen has proven to be someone that his quarterback Sam Bradford trusts when pushing the ball downfield. Bradford and Thielen have developed a relationship very quickly, which is pretty impressive considering Bradford apparently didn't know he existed before he arrived in Minnesota.
Against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Thielen caught a 16-yard touchdown on a backshoulder throw from Bradford. It was initially waved incomplete but the replay showed that Thielen had gotten both feet in after adjusting his body to make the catch. Completing this play wasn't what stood out. How comfortably Thielen completed it was what stood out. The official never should have waved this off in the first place because Thielen had clearly got both feet down and secured possession of the ball. His hands and feet were in concert with each other throughout the play.
Not to mention the pass from Bradford was perfectly placed and perfectly flighted.
Even though it was a backshoulder throw, the route from Thielen was still impressive. He didn't let the defender squeeze him too far towards the sideline as he released from the slot. Thielen initially squared up to the press coverage and threatened inside enough that the cornerback was chasing him rather than on top of him as he turned upfield. This is how Thielen had so much space to work in when the ball arrived at the end of the play.
Thielen isn't an exceptionally fast or tall player but he is explosive and he has developed his vertical route running since he entered the league. Prior to his touchdown in this game, he caught a 22-yard pass by manipulating the defensive back covering him outside.
On that play you can see how Thielen advances vertically downfield from the beginning of the play. He runs directly to the cornerback instead of shading to his outside or pushing inside. This prevents the cornerback from turning with him when he eventually flips back towards the outside and threatens him vertically. Marcus Cooper, the cornerback in question, is forced to turn the wrong way. That means Cooper can't see Thielen when the receiver stops and turns to face his quarterback.
Cooper continues upfield, Thielen is left alone in space and Bradford delivers an accurate ball on time for a big gain.
Bradford is a good deep passer so his service to Thielen on these types of routes has been consistently good this year. The probelm is that the Vikings offensive line is atrocious so they rarely have time to develop these plays without the quarterback being exposed to a big hit. When the pass protection has held up or Bradford has negated it by throwing with anticipation, Thielen has been open and he has consistently caught the ball.
Pressing Thielen at the line is difficult. He's stronger than his frame suggests he is and his quickness lets him sweep past you if you are too aggressive. On this play against the Detroit Lions, Thielen is able to escape the underneath cornerback as he attempts to guide the receiver towards his safety help. It's Thielen's quickness and decisiveness with the break in his route that lets him cut back across the trailing defender and find space outside for a big gain.
Bradford went back to Thielen on the very next play for another first down. Thielen showed off his impressive ball skills once again.
Thielen is averaging 14.0 yards per reception and nine of his 37 receptions have gained 20 or more yards. That is what he is doing in an offense that rarely gives its receivers time to run vertical routes downfield. You can't be that efficient in a bad situation without having a wide skill set. Narrow skill set receivers are more reliant on quality service and ideal conditions to be effective because they have to be set up to play to their strengths. Thielen wins in different ways. That makes him valuable now and will make him even more valuable if the offense around him improves.
On this play you can see Thielen initially makes a mistake in diagnosing the coverage. The cornerback to his side of the field drops into a wider position at the snap and Thielen makes as if he is going to try and run outside of him. He quickly rectifies his mistake and takes the free release upfield. Bradford's pass isn't perfect, likely because of the timing being thrown off with how Thielen released, so the receiver has to reach out and making a sprawling catch with the defender on his back. He makes it with relative ease.
You can't ignore the looming presence of Laquon Treadwell. As a former first-round pick, Treadwell will be pushed into the starting lineup once he reaches a certain point in his development. Treadwell isn't a special talent though. He should become a third quality option for the Vikings alongside Thielen and Diggs rather than someone who immediately estbalishes himself as the number one option ahead of them.
That will hurt the value of all three receivers from a fantasy perspective, unless the Vikings somehow find two viable starting offensive tackles between now and the start of next season.
Regardless, Thielen's breakout season should be admired and appreciated for how the NFL landscape can quickly change. He has worked to become a fantasy relevant player and is in position to either move elsewhere to become a bigger factor or grow with the evolution of the Vikings offense. Even if he wasn't a big-name prospect, he wasn't even a name prospect, Thielen's talent and development says he deserves respect moving forward.
