Minnesota Vikings: Time to consider Adam Thielen a top-five receiver

After an unlikely path to the pros, Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is making a name for himself. Is it time to consider him a top five receiver?

Everyone knows the unlikely path Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen took to get to where he is now.

From starting out with a $500 scholarship to attend Division II Minnesota State, to graduating and starting an internship selling dental equipment, to going undrafted in 2013 and trying out and successfully making the Vikings’ practice squad, to earning a spot on the 53-man roster as a special teamer, to being named the Vikings’ Special Teams Player of the Year, and now, cementing himself as a Pro Bowl wide receiver. Adam Thielen has seen it all.

Nobody thought Thielen would ever turn out to be this good. Then, on Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thielen became the first player since the NFL’s merger in 1970 to start a season with 100 yards in each of his first five games. It was just another step in his quest to becoming one of the best in the game.

After a breakout season in 2017, Thielen is well on his way to cementing himself as a top five receiver, assuming he continues the pace he’s on. Already with a mind-boggling 47 receptions on 66 targets in 2018, it’s not out of the question that Thielen could break the single-season record for receptions, which currently stands at 143 in 2002 by Marvin Harrison. At the moment, Thielen is on pace for 150 receptions by season’s end.

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It’s not as if Thielen is getting a ton of receptions for small chunks of yards, either. He’s moving the chains. As mentioned earlier, he has 100+ yards in every game this season, 589 yards in total (currently second in the NFL). To complement, he’s scored three touchdowns as well, just one away from surpassing his entire 2017 total of just four. In fact, Thielen has never scored more than five touchdowns in a season in his entire career.

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But even after a season with 1,276 yards, 91 receptions and three touchdowns in 2017, which allowed him to be named to his first Pro Bowl and an AP Second-Team All-Pro selection, Thielen still feels he hasn’t garnered enough respect. He might be right.

When people rattle off their top five receivers, you’ll first hear the usual suspects – Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr. and Deandre Hopkins. Then there’s a second-tier, where you’l likely hear anyone from Michael Thomas to AJ Green to Keenan Allen, all battling for that No. 5 spot. Rarely, if ever, do you hear Adam Thielen’s name.

It might be time to start rethinking that notion. Thielen is on pace for 150 receptions, 1,885 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018. What more is he supposed to do? Why don’t we consider Thielen among the NFL’s elite? After all, Thielen’s teammate and best friend Stefon Diggs tried telling us years ago how talented he is:

For starters, Thielen is unarguably one of the NFL’s top route runners. There isn’t a route he isn’t able to run, and his ability to break off of opposing corners in the middle of his route and find open space is uncanny for a player who went undrafted. His ability to stop and start on a dime is mesmerizing to watch, and coupled with his usage of head fakes and eye deception, Thielen is constantly finding himself open.

He also isn’t afraid to absorb a big hit if it means gaining a first down, either. This is a trait that many receivers lack, because they simply don’t want to take the punishing blow that’s about to occur after the catch. Whether it’s running a crosser over the middle or a quick slant for seven yards, Thielen will sacrifice himself if it means the team will benefit — a very underrated aspect in a receiver’s game.

Next, Thielen’s run-after-the-catch ability is what makes him truly special. His spatial awareness is on par with the NFL’s best, as he’s able to use his vision in the open field to finagle his way through traffic. So, not only can he separate himself in tight coverage, but he can rack up several yards afterwards. He also has a great knack for tracking the ball, which allows him to make diving catch after diving catch.

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Finally, Thielen’s physicality is another underrated part of his game. At just 6-2 and 200 pounds, he isn’t the most physically-imposing player in the world. That being said, he consistently finds ways to get a clean release of the line of scrimmage, using both finesse in his footwork and power through hand fighting to get past opposing cornerbacks.

Like any other player, though, nobody is flawless. One thing Thielen could work on is his drops. So far this season, he’s dropped four passes, second-most in the NFL through five weeks. Although he has a pretty reliable pair of hands and routinely makes spectacular catches, there are times when he suffers from concentration drops. Luckily, this is something that can be easily fixed.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer knows exactly what he has in Thielen. After Thielen’s record-breaking performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, Zimmer had nothing but good things to say about his No. 1 receiver.

Thielen is constantly working at his craft, trying to find ways to hone his skills. Even after an outstanding, breakout 2017 campaign, he still believes he can be even better. As Zimmer also detailed in his post game presser, Thielen will constantly come up to him during the week, telling him what he needs to improve on.

“[Thielen] comes up to me during the week and says, ‘I’m doing this and I just need to run, or I need to do this’, ” Zimmer stated, per 247 Sports. “Even on the long one he caught today, Thielen [came up to me] and said, ‘Man, I’m faster than that. I should have scored on that.’ ”

You may not hear Thielen’s name being mentioned in the conversation for being a top five receiver at the moment, but that may soon change. With an electric playmaker on the other side of him in Stefon Diggs, an accurate passer in Kirk Cousins, and a head coach the firmly believes in his skill-set, the sky is the limit for the former undrafted intern. If he isn’t already, Adam Thielen will soon be a household name.