The Vikings have filled their Stefon Diggs-shaped void on offense.
After trading away the veteran wideout to Buffalo, Minnesota used the No. 22 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- acquired from the Bills -- to grab pass-catcher Justin Jefferson out of LSU.
"The big thing on him was going to be his speed because he's such a smooth athlete," one scout told Bob McGinn of The Athletic. "His workout was really good. I don't think he'll ever be a Pro Bowl No. 1 guy, but he's a really good No. 2."
That works for now with Adam Thielen embedded as the clear-cut top option for the Vikings.
Something of a late bloomer, Jefferson notched 111 catches last season at LSU, the most by any wideout in the college ranks. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah was told by a league source that the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Jefferson was Vikings play-caller Gary Kubiak's favorite wideout in the draft.
Jeremiah went on to compare Jefferson to Keenan Allen, which would serve as nothing short of a coup for a Vikings outfit that desperately needed new blood at the position -- and found it on Thursday night.
Jefferson's selection was set to be the first in four slots for the Vikings, but they traded their 25th pick to the 49ers. The Vikings traded the pick for San Francisco selections at No. 31, 117, and 176. The Niners proceeded to grab a wideout, too, selecting Arizona State's Brandon Aiyuk.
If there was any need quite so massive as that of receiver for the Vikings, it was cornerback. After moving back via the San Fran swap, Minnesota selected Texas Christian cornerback Jeff Gladney at No. 31.
