Even old is young when focusing on Vikings mixture at receiver

Nine years, 189 days.

That's the age difference between Vikings cornerback Terence Newman and the Vikings' oldest receiver.

The oldest. As for the youngest receiver, well, that age difference clocks in at 16 years, 82 days.

Asked if he's ever been on a team where the oldest receiver is only 27 years old, the 37-year-old Newman laughed.

"Every team that I'm on, every receiver is young," he said. "You know what, I think Cincinnati was pretty similar. I don't remember an old veteran receiver over there. I'm trying to think when I left Dallas, I think it was the same way. So I'm used to seeing a pretty young group."

As the Vikings search for playmakers to better complement quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, they've gone young. Real young. At 27, Charles Johnson is the graybeard. Jarius Wright, 26, is the only other receiver older than 25.

So when I'm watching the receivers in camp, yeah, I notice a lot of fresh legs. Of the 11 receivers on the roster, four are younger than 24, including rookies Moritz Bohringer, Marken Michel and first-round draft pick Laquon Treadwell, the youngest at 21. Yeah, Treadwell was born in June of 1995. June … of … 1995.

Another thing that stands out is the wide mix of physical skills. Six of the receivers are 6-2 or taller. Four are 6-foot or shorter. If you think every NFL receiver has to be a giant to move the chains and succeed in the NFL, you need to watch more tape of the 5-10 Jarius Wright.

"We've got height, we've got guys who are wider bodies, we got guys who are small and quick," Newman said. "I think the group complements each other. If you get a bigger guy on one side and a smaller guy here, a slot receiver, and then you got these giant tight ends that we got, I think they all complement each other.

"I don't think it's necessarily a good thing to have two big, giant receivers. I think you have to have guys who complement each other. A quick guy on the outside who can use his quickness to get open and then use his speed. You got to have a guy who is a possession receiver to go and get the ball. Use his body to get the ball. I think we have that. We have some young studs who are working hard. And they're hungry. They're trying to prove themselves."

There's a lot to prove, particularly for Treadwell, before we can call this a satisfactory group overall. But it does have youth on its side. That's for sure.