(Photo: PFF)
Stefon Diggs has been in the NFL since 2015. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of that 2015 draft class and became a building piece of their offensive and then, he was a top target for Kirk Cousins. During the off-season in 2020, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills which then opened the door for the Vikings to trade Justin Jefferson and look what he’s become. With Buffalo, Stefon and Josh Allen were widely regarded as one of the best Quarterback/Receiver tandems in the league. Following the 2023 season, there were talks about the veteran Wide Receiver wanting out of Orchard Park and there were times I noticed he appeared to be disgruntled. His body language told me all I needed to know. Today, Stefon was traded to the Houston Texans for just a draft pick next year in 2025.
He’s one of the best Wide Receivers in the league and has put people on notice these last few years. This is a guy that wants the football at all times and he’s that playmaker that can spark up your entire offense. When you speak on receivers and route running, Stefon must be one of the first names you bring up and I say that because he’s able to put on a clinic how to run the route tree. He is what I refer to as a “three-level route runner” meaning he can attack the secondary with short routes, go intermediate and he can also run deep and take that top off the coverage. Stefon can run any route and he knows how to set up the Defensive Backs on the way he wants to run his route meaning he’ll break off the snap of the ball, pretend as if he’s going one way, and cut in the opposite direction. I’ve noticed over the years how crafty he is when it comes to running those routes and how consistent he is. When it comes to running the deeper routes down the field, his ability to track the ball is second to none. It’s one of those “just throw the ball up and I’m coming down with it”. Stefon has an answer for every coverage you throw at him, but most importantly, when he makes those plays, his teammates feed off of him and his playmaking instills confidence in everyone else around him. He’s that spark plug that many teams have on their roster. When he makes a play, the entire roster feels it, and that speaks volumes about him, especially as a receiver.
He’s everything you could ask for in a receiver. Stefon has great hands, the route running is top tier and he scores along with being that playmaker. The Houston Texans were already a favorite to win the AFC South and this move further solidifies it. We all saw what their offense was able to do with C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz, and Nico Collins. Now, insert the playmaking of Diggs into the equation and this could be one of the more explosive offenses in the league next season. Houston wants to win now it appears and they could be a team to watch in the AFC. If they continue to add more depth to their roster, this could be the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference.
