Minnesota Vikings: 5 players who must improve in 2018

1. Laquon Treadwell

After only registering one catch over nine games as a rookie in 2016, last year qualified as improvement for Treadwell with 20 receptions for 200 yards while playing all 16 games. Zimmer has been critical of Treadwell, citing a focus on the wrong things when he’s on his own in the development process. Rather than running stairs and rampant repetitions on the jugs machine, as has been indicated publicly, the team clearly thinks Treadwell should be working harder on the finer points of being an NFL wide receiver.

The Vikings have reshuffled their wide receiver depth a little bit this offseason. Jarius Wright left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency, and he was replaced by Kendall Wright. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs will remain as the top two targets for new quarterback Kirk Cousins, but Cousins’ propensity for spreading the ball around is set to yield opportunities for others to contribute.

Last year, eight Washington Redskins caught at least 20 passes from Cousins. In 2016, Cousins’ most productive season to this point, three wide receivers caught at least 56 passes.

Next: Oakland Raiders: 5 players who must improve in 2018

Treadwell has been working with the Vikings’ first team offense during OTAs recently, for whatever that’s worth in May. And back in late-February, as should be obvious, Vikings’ general manager Rick Spielman said he wanted to see Treadwell “make a jump” this year. A substantial third-year breakout used to be a very prominent thing for wide receivers (less so in recent years), but 2018 is shaping up to be the make-or-break year for Treadwell.