The Vikings traded for Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson emerged as the lead receiver in 2014. Greg Jennings was solid and Cordarrelle Patterson went from a weekly fantasy starter at the end of 2013 to almost off the team. As of writing this article, Patterson is still on the Vikings roster, which may be the worst case scenario for a potential turnaround.
Historical Perspective
Two years ago Patterson was a first round NFL draft pick – one that screamed an athletic projection. Here is his projection model scores:
36: Overall Score
+64% Athleticism Score
-39% Production Score
Here are a few noteworthy metrics of Patterson’s within the first round wide receiver group since 1999:
His overall score of 36 is the lowest mark since Ted Ginn in 2007.
Patterson’s production score (typically connected to the safety of a prospect entering the NFL) is the lowest since Ted Ginn as well.
Cordarrelle Patterson’s +64% athleticism mark is the highest of the Round 1 receivers since Julio Jones’ ridiculous +97% in 2011.
A PPG drop from Year 1 to Year 2 (Patterson went from 9 PPG to 6 PPG) is not all that common for Round 1 receivers. Here are some others that had a similar drop:
- Tavon Austin
- Mike Williams
- Roddy White
- Michael Clayton
- Charles Rogers
- Donte Stallworth
- Troy Edwards
- Kevin Johnson
This is a pretty damning list as only Roddy White – who had not fallen off the map on his own team like Patterson – emerged into a good fantasy option in Year 3+.
Super Speed
