The NFL’s Most Dominant Wide Receiver Isn’t Named Antonio, Odell or Julio

His name is Adam and he plays for the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Adam Thielen (19) warms up before a NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills on September 23, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Adam Thielen (19) warms up before a NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills on September 23, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

There’s a new top receiver in the NFL looking to pass the likes of Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham in the conversation for the best at the position.

By notching 116 receiving yards on Sunday during Minnesota’s 23-21 victory over the Eagles, Vikings receiver Adam Thielen became the first player to have 100 or more yards receiving in each of his team’s first five games in the Super Bowl era.

Not usually mentioned in the same breath as top wideouts like Brown and Beckham, Thielen has been producing at All-Pro level this season nonetheless.

His 47 catches lead the NFL as do his 66 targets. He’s also second in receiving yards per game (117.8) and total receiving yards (589).

Perhaps most importantly, Thielen has been incredibly dependable in helping the Vikings convert third downs and is first in the league in catches for first downs with 31.

Thielen, 28, also helps the team in other ways and was on the bottom of the pile on Sunday while recovering Jake Elliott’s onside kick attempt, allowing Minnesota to escape Philadelphia with their two-point win.

When you add all of that up, the only conclusion is that the undrafted Division II star is one of the league’s best receivers and deserves to be thought of, and eventually paid, as such.

“I think his deal is all heart,” said Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer. “No. 1, he’s got the biggest heart there is. No. 2, he’s always talking about how he can get better. He comes up to me during the week and says, ‘I’m doing this and I just need to run, or I need to do this,’ and I said, ‘I’ll remind you,’ and even the long one he caught he said, ‘Man, I’m faster than that. I should have scored on that.’ That’s the kind of guys he is. The onside kick went to him and I told him, ‘Catch it the first time next time, would ya?’ He’s a great competitor.”

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