Adam Thielen 2021 ‘NFL Top 100’ Ranking Unveiled

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Aug 15, 2021
Adam Thielen
Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Each summer, NFL Network announces the 100 best players in the league, an event touted for its legitimacy.

Power rankings of teams and players are largely subjective, so why is this particular batch better than others? Simple — NFL players vote to determine the one-through-hundred order. The rankings are player-driven, fueling the validity of the list. If players feel a certain way, it must be more sensible than other opinions — is the midset.

The first member of the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 to appear on the rankings is Adam Thielen. He checked in at #80 for the 2021 edition.

Thielen makes a return to the NFL Top 100 after exclusion in 2020. The season prior to last year’s version of the rankings, Thielen missed six games due to injury. Here’s a look at Thielen’s NFL Top 100 history:

2021 = 80th
2020 = Unranked
2019 = 33rd
2018 = 36th
2017 = Unranked
2016 = Unranked

In 2018, Thielen experienced the peak of his powers, jelling instantly with then-new quarterback Kirk Cousins. He hauled in 113 receptions for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns during the Vikings disappointing 8-7-1 campaign. That output caused the best NFL Top 100 ranking of his career, a personal mark that will likely be the summit of his dealings with the list. Thielen turns 31 next week. He even tied the NFL record for most consecutive (eight) 100+ yard receiving games in 2018. Calvin Johnson is the fellow record-holder.

As of late, Thielen has morphed into a touchdown savant rather than a “yards guy” as was the case at the beginning of his career. For example, when the Vikings barnstormed the league in 2017 with backup offensive players, Thielen tallied 1,276 receiving yards — but just four touchdowns. Now, that top-heaviness for yards is flipping. During the 2019 season, Thielen produced 418 receiving yards but six touchdowns in limited playing time. Then in 2020, he failed to reach the 1,000-yards plateau (924 yards) while grabbing 14 touchdowns.

As Justin Jefferson continues his airlift to stardom, the trend might persist. Last year, Jefferson was the “yards guy” and Thielen was the “touchdown guy.” Kyle Rudolph was the Vikings “redzone guy” for about a decade, and he now plays for the New York Giants. Because of Thielen’s reliability and surehandedness, he might take Rudolph’s mantel as the touchdown threat inside the 20-yardline. Hell, he began doing it in 2020 when Rudolph succumbed to injury.

And Thielen’s recent touchdown barrage is not just good for a Vikings player. Leaguewide, Thielen scores more than other wide receivers per target:

Put bluntly, Thielen has scored more often amid the last two seasons than most notable wide receivers when the ball is thrown in his direction.

The company he keeps is impressive, too. Thielen is frequently lauded for his rags-to-riches story in Minnesota folklore. But it’s important to note that Thielen’s production is terrific by NFL standards — not just a Minnesota criterion. The Minnesota State alumnus became a full-time starter in 2016, and since then, these are the only players to perform consistently at a higher level:

Finally, he’s an elder statesman on the Vikings roster. Harrison Smith is the only player currently on the Vikings roster to play more games (130 games) with the team than Thielen (105 games). After Smith and Thielen, Anthony Barr (87 games), Eric Kendricks (85 games), and Danielle Hunter (78 games) have the seniority.

Thielen needs 250 receiving yards in 2021 to surpass Ahmad Rashad’s for #7 on the Vikings all-time receiving yards list.

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