Maryland Football: Stefon Diggs has stellar rookie season
By Chris Bengel
The 2015 NFL regular season is in the books.
Former Maryland star Stefon Diggs ended up enjoying a stellar rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings wrapped up the season on Sunday night on a 20-13 win over the Green Bay Packers to clinch the NFC North division title. Diggs was one of the bright spots on a receiving offense that finished 29th in the NFL with just 219.5 receiving yards per game.
Diggs finished second among rookie receivers with 52 receptions for 720 yards and four touchdowns. Only Oakland Raiders wideout Amari Cooper had a stronger campaign as the former Alabama star caught 70 passes for 1,050 yards and six touchdowns.
The former Terp started off his NFL career with a spectacular preseason. Even with 174 receiving yards and a touchdown, it still looked like Diggs was going to be Minnesota’s top kickoff/punt returner at best.
Diggs was inactive for the first three regular season games.
However, Diggs finally broke out against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 4. The former Good Counsel (Md.) star caught six passes for 87 yards on a team-high 10 targets.
In just his first NFL regular season game, Diggs made Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib look like a rookie on a beautiful fake. If you forget what it looked like, check out the video below.
Over the next three games, Diggs caught no less than six passes for 95 yards. His best performance came against the Kansas City Chiefs when he recorded seven receptions for 129 yards.
He caught his first NFL touchdown against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 25 on a 36-yard pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Diggs got 13-year veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis to bite on a double move, and Diggs was able to make a fingertip diving catch in the end zone.
Just a week later, Diggs found paydirt once again. The former Maryland star caught a ball from Bridgewater in the middle of the field, stepped on a dime, and blew past cornerback Kyle Fuller for the touchdown.
Much like his time in College Park, Diggs’ game continues to be about speed and yards after the catch. After all, the former Terp only had two games where his longest catch was for single-digit yards.
While Diggs suffered through periods of decreased production, he still had a phenomenal rookie season. With that being said, he still has a chance to end up on a solid note when the Vikings host the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Diggs was one of the most electrifying playmakers to ever play for the Terps, and he’s clearly the same type of player at the professional level.