Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell was the 23rd overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. Despite his first-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings, Treadwell has struggled to be productive through his first two seasons in the NFL.
Speaking at the NFL Combine on Thursday, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said that Treadwell needs to stop incurring the self-inflicted problems that have plagued him through the first two seasons.
“Laquon needs to get out of his own way,” Zimmer said, via the Daily Norseman. “He’s a guy that works extremely hard, probably doesn’t do things the right way all the time. We’ll be in training camp and he’ll run the stadium steps at night, which is not helping for practice the next day. But he thinks he’s trying to get better; he’s trying to get better. He’s just going about it the wrong way. He needs to get out of his own way and let this thing play out.”
After having just one catch as a rookie, Treadwell caught just 20 passes for 200 yards in year two as Adam Thelien and Stefon Diggs were the primary targets for Case Keenum and Sam Bradford throughout the season. Jarius Wright had 18 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns despite playing half the snaps on offense (254 to 500) that Treadwell did last season.
The good news is that Treadwell isn’t falling short for lack of effort. Wide receivers moving from college to the pros can run into issues making the transition as well. The Vikings will have to hope that Treadwell can find a better means of channeling his effort in hopes of living up to his status as a former first-round pick.