The old adage was the third season was the breakout year for wide receivers in the NFL, but don’t tell that to Minnesota Vikings’ second-year receiver, Cordarrelle Patterson, who believes his breakout season is on the horizon in his sophomore campaign.
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Patterson was the third of three first round picks for the Vikings in the 2013 NFL Draft, but proved to be the best as a rookie, even making the Pro Bowl as a return man after taking two kicks back to the house for a touchdown.
I’m going to be a top-5 playmaker.
Patterson left Tennessee after one season with the Volunteers where he made plays through the air, out of the backfield and on special teams as one of the more dynamic playmakers in college football. Despite being “raw” as a receiver entering the league, Patterson made his mark when the ball was in his hands and after getting his feet wet as a rookie, Patterson thinks he’ll be one of the best playmakers in the NFL in 2014.
“I’m going to be a top-5 playmaker,” Patterson said on an episode of NFL Fan Pass. “I’m a playmaker, I like to make plays. Like I tell them, just get the ball in my hands I feel like I’m special with it. I just like to do special things with the ball.”
The Vikings will make Patterson getting the ball in Patterson’s hands a priority and despite an unsettled quarterback situation, you have to believe Patterson will take a big step toward being one of the elite playmakers in the NFL. It may not necessarily, be in the top five, but he is in line for a big season after improving as a route runner this offseason.