When is Norv Turner going to get his next Michael Irvin? Will it be first-round pick Laquon Treadwell?
“I wouldn’t do that to anybody,” Turner said when asked if Treadwell compares favorably to the Hall of Fame-er Irvin, according to Vikings.com. “I think Laquon Treadwell is Laquon Treadwell, and he’s going to be his own guy. If there’s some things he does that are like Michael Irvin then that would be awesome. But he’s a very talented football player.”
Turner and head coach Mike Zimmer might be shy about comparing Treadwell to another player, but the media isn’t. Here’s who Treadwell is being likened to.
Eric Moulds – Buffalo Bills
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman compared Treadwell to the former Buffalo Bills star, so the Pioneer Press gave Moulds a call and even he agreed with the comparison.
“I think we have a lot of similarities,” Moulds said. “People talk about his speed, but I think that is overrated because there is football speed and there is clock speed, and I think Treadwell has football speed. He can get open, and I think we both have the knack for that.”
Moulds’ best season: 2002 – 100 catches, 1,292 yards, 10 TD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyKDYLwJvOE
Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys
“Treadwell shows a Bryant-like skillset with his size and athleticism combination to be a mismatch against cornerbacks on the outside,” according to CBS Sports‘ Dane Brugler.
Bryant’s best season: 2014 – 88 catches, 1,320 yards, 16 TD
DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans
Hopkins is one of the top receivers in the game today, and he’s who Treadwell was compared to by NFL.com.
“Like DeAndre Hopkins, both players should be defined by their talent, ball skills and consistency of production over pure speed numbers. Treadwell is at his best when he has a clean, two-way go off the line of scrimmage and he could be a challenging size matchup from the slot.”
Hopkins’ best season: 2015 – 111 catches, 1,521 yards, 11 TD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JILAHqlctA
Alshon Jeffery – Chicago Bears
Just four months ago ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. compared Treadwell to Jeffery.
“He has tremendous hands, huge hands, great size, but the comparisons to Alshon Jeffery are accurate,” Kiper said, via SEC Country. “But Alshon Jeffery was a second-round pick. We’re talking about a top-10 pick here. So, he’s got to run well enough to warrant being that high a pick.”
Jeffery’s best season: 2013 – 89 catches, 1,421 yards, 7 TD (had 10 TD in 2014)
