Around this time last year, when the Vikings used their first-round pick on Laquon Treadwell, a 6-2 split-end wide receiver out of Ole Miss, it looked as if the Vikings had found a perfect fit for Norv Turner's vertical passing attack. But six months or so later, so much had changed.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down with a career-threatening knee injury, the Vikings traded their 2017 first-round pick to replace him with Sam Bradford, and Turner resigned midway through the season.
Pat Shurmur replaced Turner as the play-caller, and with Bradford flinging short passes left and right, wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and tight end Kyle Rudolph all established career highs in catches.
As a rookie, Treadwell naturally set a career high in receptions, too — just barely, though. He ended up catching only one pass in his first season.
The Vikings have not given up on Treadwell, though, and there are now fewer obstacles on his path to playing time if he can get and stay healthy. Cordarrelle Patterson and Charles Johnson both left in free agency, and the Vikings have not yet brought in any proven veteran pass-catchers.
So, at the very least, they must use one of their eight picks to add depth there as Jarius Wright is the only other receiver with an NFL catch.
At tight end, the Vikings said goodbye to blocking specialist Rhett Ellison, who was second in playing time at that position behind Rudolph. David Morgan is heading into his second season. They also took a flyer on Nick Truesdell, a 27-year-old from the Arena Football League. But this is another position where the Vikings could use another able body.
Projected starters: Diggs, Thielen and Treadwell at wide receiver in the team's preferred three-receiver sets with Rudolph at tight end.
