Maryland fans have known for quite a while how talented Stefon Diggs is.
On Sunday night, the world got to see the superstar potential of the former Terrapin.
Diggs enjoyed a very productive rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings. He caught 52 passes (82 targets) for 720 yards and four touchdowns.
The high point of his first NFL season was a four-game stretch in which he recorded 25 receptions for 419 yards and a pair of touchdowns. During that remarkable stretch, Diggs averaged 104.8 receiving yards per contest.
After that four-game stretch, it was almost as if the NFL can began to figure out Diggs. Over the final 10 games (nine regular season and one playoff), the former Good Counsel (Md.) star had no more than six catches and 66 receiving yards.
He did register two touchdowns against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 20, but only recorded three receptions for 55 yards.
Diggs’ rookie campaign could be viewed as a success given his overall numbers. He wasn’t expected to be the team’s leading receiver when he was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Going through the 2016 offseason, it was certainly clear that Diggs was going to be the top option for Minnesota.
Through the first two games of the regular season, Diggs has shown that he is more than capable of being one of the league’s elite wideouts.
In those two contests, he’s played with two different quarterbacks in Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill. However, Diggs has produced in a big way no matter which signal caller is under center for the Vikings.
Diggs caught seven passes for 103 yards against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. That was with another former Terp in Hill.
While that was very impressive, Diggs’ coming out party was on Sunday evening against the Green Bay Packers on national television.
The former Maryland star hauled in nine passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. Diggs benefitted from a very strong outing from the newest Viking in Bradford.
WOW WOW WOW Sam Bradford & @stefon_diggs! 🙌#GBvsMIN #SKOL https://t.co/Wex0YfXSPc
— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2016
Diggs really did the bulk of his damage after the catch. When he gets in open space, there’s few wideouts that are as lethal with the ball in their hands.
He also worked the middle of the field and didn’t disappear when the Vikings entered the red zone. On his touchdown catch, Bradford threw a perfectly placed ball where only Diggs could secure the catch and he displayed his phenomenal set of hands.
All of these key characteristics were present during Diggs’ time in College Park.
Diggs was known for his elusive moves and speed in the open field. That was even with subpar coaching and quarterback play.
With Diggs more consistent quarterback play, he would’ve almost certainly be selected on the first or second day of the draft.
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Regardless, it was clear that Diggs was a star in the making from the moment he stepped on the Maryland campus. Just a few short years, the former five-star recruit is showing the NFL just how talented he is.