Laquon Treadwell has been quite the letdown for the Minnesota Vikings. This is his last chance to earn his keep with the franchise that spent a first-round pick on him.
The Minnesota Vikings used their first-round pick in 2016 on wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Treadwell was a star at Ole Miss despite breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle in his sophomore season. He returned from injury with his best collegiate season. As a junior in 2015, Treadwell dominated the SEC by catching 82 passes for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns, all career highs.
Treadwell was considered to be one of the premier wide receiver prospects of the 2016 NFL Draft. While the injury may have slowed Treadwell down a bit, it certainly didn’t plummet his draft stock. The Vikings selected him with the 23rd overall pick. However, his career in Minnesota has been far from stellar.
Entering his rookie season, Treadwell was the potential No. 3 wide receiver in Minnesota. His expectations were high as he was the supposed missing piece. He only appeared in nine games as a rookie, though. Those nine games brought Treadwell just three targets and one catch. His quiet season was somewhat hidden by the emergence of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Treadwell took a backseat and had a seemingly new role heading into 2017.
His sophomore season offered much of the same as his rookie outing. He saw an uptick in production, racking in a whopping 20 passes for 200 yards. Finally, Treadwell had a decent showing in 2018. He caught 35 passes for 302 yards and his first touchdown.
Sure, that is still underwhelming, but it’s still a bit of a positive sign. Could 2019 be Treadwell’s year to finally break out?
Making the roster
First and foremost, Treadwell has to make the roster in 2019. There has always been buzz that Treadwell’s time in Minnesota may be coming to an end. He was a potential casualty around this time last year but hung on to his roster spot. Now, the same questions arise heading into his fourth camp. The battle for the third wide receiver is heating up for the Vikings this summer.
The Vikings signed Jordan Taylor in free agency. Taylor, formerly of the Denver Broncos, has been tabbed as a potential replacement for Treadwell. He is 6-5 with great leaping ability on the perimeter. However, Taylor has just 29 catches and two touchdowns in his career.
Minnesota also brought in a healthy amount of rookie options at wide receiver. They selected both Dillon Mitchell and Olabisi Johnson in the seventh round. They also signed three undrafted free agents. One of the undrafted options has stood out in camp as Davion Davis has been turning heads and looks to be a sleeper for a final spot on the 53-man roster.
Chad Beebe presents the biggest threat to Treadwell this season. He took over at the end of the 2018 season and has caught the eye of his teammates. Beebe played in three games last year, catching four passes for 39 yards. Beebe is an elusive route runner with soft hands. Not only is he an excellent slot receiver, but Beebe can also return punts. He is the likely favorite to win the job as the third receiver this season.