While the Minnesota Vikings' top priority this offseason should be the offensive line, wide receiver is a close second. Though the team is built around its ground game with Adrian Peterson, there's no excuse for Minnesota's pass-catchers to finish 31st in receptions (294), receiving yards (3,246) and receiving touchdowns (14) while averaging just 202.9 yards per game. No, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater didn't quite breakout like many had hoped in his second season, but that doesn't mean the Vikes should stop trying to help him.
Mike Wallace was brought in last offseason to be a home run threat but he caught just 39 passes for 473 yards. It's unlikely that he'll be back with an $11.5 million salary due in 2016. The future is similarly clouded for former first-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson, who has plateaued after an impressive rookie season. Last year's breakout Charles Johnson saw himself fall out of favor in the rotation following rookie Stefon Diggs' emergence. Overall, there are more question than answers in this wide receiving corps, which is why the position is likely to be addressed during the 2016 NFL Draft.
ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. projects Minnesota to select TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson with the No. 23 pick.
"The Vikings are moving indoors and Teddy Bridgewater has a chance to really take off," Kiper wrote. "Do the Vikings want to pay Mike Wallace another $11.5 million to be a part of it? They have Stefon Diggs, but Doctson gives them another weapon, a guy who can stretch the field and run after the catch and has a reliable set of hands."
Doctson hauled in 79 passes for 1,327 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged a healthy 16.8 yards per catch and, at 6-foot-3, would be Bridgewater's biggest target at the position. He comes complete with impressive ball skills and the ability to separate from coverage, but he is not going to burn anyone with pure speed. He could be a key cog in Bridgewater's continued development.
