Green Bay Packers: Ranking the NFC North wide receivers

Minnesota Vikings

4) MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Fifth-round pick Stefon Diggs was nothing short of a revelation for coach Mike Zimmer in his rookie season from the element of speed he added to the passing game to the crisp patterns he ran from the outside and the slot. The six-foot wideout played with the confidence of a 10-year veteran.

And while his 52 grabs for 720 yards and four touchdowns were superb numbers for a rookie who left school early and lacked much of a supporting cast around him, Diggs could have provided more.

Following a four-week breakout (from October through November) in which the Maryland-born pass catcher averaged six catches for 102 yards, Diggs hit the proverbial rookie wall brought about by the preponderance of double-team coverages he was suddenly facing.

What Diggs needed was help from both his quarterback who didn’t look to stretch the field often enough and his surrounding weapons that failed to distinguish themselves.

Especially disappointing was the disappearing act pulled off by Charles Johnson, who just didn’t seem to be on the same page as his quarterback, but also sustained a rib injury, which limited his mobility.

Add Mike Wallace to list of disappointments as well. The Vikings traded a fifth-round pick for his services and received very little in return.

The former Steelers’ and Dolphins’ inconsistent receiver with shaky hands have made him persona non grata in his previous stops.

The best way to sum up his experience in the NFC North is that Wallace and Teddy Bridgewater were a bad match form the start. The 29-year-old is a speedster who needs to be fed the ball on deep routes, but his quarterback only targeted him five times all season on plays of 30 yards or more, according to ESPN Stats and Information research.

Wallace has since signed the Baltimore Ravens and to fill their numerous holes at wide receiver, GM Rick Speilman drafted Laquon Treadwell from Ole Miss who’ll be expected to hit the ground running in 2016.

Treadwell is a tough receiver with big hands that he uses to pluck balls thrown anywhere in his area code. He also uses his 6-2, 210-pound frame to win 50/50 balls.

The physical rookie will remind some of Dez Bryant or Anquan Boldin in the way he fights for every yard with the ball in his hands. The added bonus the Vikings will get from Treadwell is that he can be a ferocious blocker in the ground game.

Veteran Jarius Wright is a solid slot receiver who provides quickness and the ability to find holes in the middle of the field. But he is a fourth receiver at best due to his lack of size and strength to consistently make plays versus bigger corners.

The rest of Minnesota’s receiver group is a mixed bag of young, unproven talent that will compete for roster spots and playing time over the next three months.

The clock has just about struck midnight for Cordarrelle Patterson, who lacks the skills and discipline to be nothing more than a dangerous return specialist. Adam Thielen is also more of a special teams contributor than receiving threat as well.

Sixth-round German import Moritz Boehringer is a tall weapon that can stretch the field and make contested grabs in tight quarters. He has impressed thus far in team minicamps with the way he catches the ball cleanly in his hands and his overall instincts in utilizing his 6-4 frame to position himself in front of defenders to make plays.

Next: 3 reasons the Packers have high power ranking

There are more questions than answers at this point at the wide receiver position, but most of the players in this group offer varying levels of upside. Ultimately it will be up to Bridgewater to get the best out of them.