Report: Ex-1st-Round Pick WR Laquon Treadwell Agrees to 1-Year Falcons Contract

Laquon Treadwell is getting another shot. 

The wide receiver taken 23rd overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2016 NFL draft has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, per ESPN's Josina Anderson.

Treadwell played 13 games last season, recording nine catches for 184 yards and one touchdown. 

Things may not have panned out for the Vikings, but his selection was by no means a gamble. The 6'2", 215 lbs. wideout was stellar in college at Ole Miss. He was named first-team All-SEC in 2015 and was SEC Freshman of the Year two years earlier in 2013. 

For multiple reasons, that didn't transition well to the NFL. In 53 career games, Treadwell has started just 16 over his four-year career, racking up 65 catches, 701 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't reach the end zone in the NFL until his third year as a pro. 

It certainly didn't help that he's gone through multiple quarterbacks since turning pro. In the last four years alone, Minnesota used Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Kirk Cousins for more than 10 games. That's a lot of change—and a lot of change in styles and cadence—for a young receiver trying to break into the league. As Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen emerged as stars in the Vikes' offense, Treadwell faded. 

He went from playing on 52 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps in 2018 to just 17 percent last season, according to Pro Football Reference. That pretty much spelled the end of his time with the Vikings. 

Treadwell shouldn't expect to get a bulk of playing time right away in Atlanta, not with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley leading the way, but he can join a sturdy group of receivers and try to carve out a role for himself with a consistent quarterback in Matt Ryan. 

The Falcons will certainly need all the help they can get in a highly-competitive NFC South. With Drew Brees returning to New Orleans and Tom Brady agreeing to terms in Tampa Bay, it may just be the toughest division in football.