The Minnesota Vikings offense was supposed to feature Charles Johnson, a promising second-year wideout who had managed to usurp another once-promising offensive weapon, receiver Corrdarelle Patterson's, position in the Vikings offense last year. And yet, through six weeks of the 2015 NFL season, Johnson has appeared in just three games, catching only six passes for 46 yards. This, after positing 31 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns to close out a 2014 season that was frustrating for Vikings fans, but provided ample reason for hope for the future of the franchise. Now, in Johnson's stead, veteran pass catcher Mike Wallace has taken the reins of the Vikes passing attack. But he hasn't been alone. Rookie Vikings receiving Stefon Diggs has come on of late, breaking out this past weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs to the tune of seven receptions - one more than Johnson has all season - for 129 yards. And while Diggs' output likely wasn't expected by most fans in Minnesota, it sounds like Wallace could tell early on that the former Maryland Terrapin had that something special.
"You can tell from Day One who can play football or not," Wallace said of Diggs, via Matt Vensel of the Minnesota Star Tribune. "They have some exceptions where guys get better drastically over time. But for the most part, you can tell from Day One, can he play or can he not play? And I always felt like he could from Day One. ... Just the skill set, the way he runs his routes, the energy that he has. It reminds me of him."
The "him" to which Wallace is referring is former Wallace Steelers teammate and current best wide receiver in the NFL, Antonio Brown. While it's early for such comparisons, especially considering Diggs has appeared in all of two NFL games to this point, it does seem to be apt when it comes to their respective paths to the NFL. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All Pro, entered the league via the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Diggs was selected by Vikings GM Rick Spielman in the fifth round of this past April's 2015 NFL Draft.
And while there's every possibility that the speedy young wideout could turn into some version of Brown-lite - though that's quite the tall order considering Brown's elite burst, route running and generally competitive approach to every snap and every ball - Diggs sounds very much like a player who knows there are many hurdles to overcome and many games to be played before a comparison like that can every really be made.
"I believe everyone is different," said Diggs, via Vensel. "Antonio Brown, excuse my language, is a hell of athlete and a hell of a receiver, and I have yet to work to that point. I'm just trying to earn my stripes."
And like Brown, it won't be easy for Diggs to do so. Brown and Diggs both entered the NFL to questions over their ability to thrive on the outside of an NFL passing game due to their limited strength and long speed. But as a fluid athlete and instinctive route runner, Diggs may actually be well-equipped to make a place and a name for himself in today's NFL, just as Brown did before him.
