When Laquon Treadwell was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in April, general manager Rick Spielman talked about finding a player at the perfect intersection of need and talent. The Vikings badly needed a second option at wide receiver. And when Treadwell, once considered a top-10 pick, tumbled all the way down to the 23rd selection, it felt like circumstance breaking in Minnesota’s direction.

As Spielman said the morning after the selection, “He’s definitely someone that not only fit the best player available on our board, but also fit the bill as a top need for us as well.”

View photos Rookie Laquon Treadwell hasn’t seen much playing time this season. (Getty Images) More

Six-plus months later – and eight games into his NFL career – Treadwell finally has a catch. His first NFL reception went for 15 yards against a poor Detroit Lions secondary. It came during a season-high 17 plays and is notable in that it accentuates a puzzling and disappointing start. But also one where some creeping concerns about his draft film are apparently playing out in practice. Midway through the NFL season, Treadwell has easily become one of the most puzzling and frustrating first-round picks in the league.

Here’s the problem, from two sources familiar with the Vikings and close to departed offensive coordinator Norv Turner: Treadwell is a high-end athlete who is struggling to get open. He hasn’t figured out how to consistently separate from defensive backs in practice and that’s a big reason why he’s not getting onto the field. Like many rookie receivers, his conditioning was not where it needed to be initially, and his effort in practice and dedication to minute details at his position were lacking early on. While some of that has improved, Treadwell is still encountering problems playing to his size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) and considerable athleticism.

What’s interesting about that evaluation is that it’s not very far removed from some of the criticisms of Treadwell during the run-up to the NFL draft. As personnel men became more familiar with him, they saw a player with size who struggled to employ his speed in a way that consistently created openings. He used his size in college, but was criticized as being a player who didn’t always attack balls thrown in his direction. By the end of the scouting combine, a handful of scouts told Yahoo Sports that Treadwell was, at best, a possession receiver who was unlikely to mature into a dominant No. 1 wideout.

The Vikings have attempted to resolve some of the effort and focus issues – and avoid having Treadwell completely inactive – by mixing in some special teams work over the course of the season. He has also had to watch Adam Thielen eat up playing time that was earmarked for Treadwell when he was drafted. While Thielen’s rise this season has been worthy of respect, he’s been more of a serviceable utility wideout than an impact second receiver who can open up the offense and take pressure off Stefon Diggs.

At least one thing appears to be clear as the second half of the season begins for the rookie: Turner was something of an impediment for Treadwell seeing the field. Pat Shurmur took the reins at offensive coordinator and put Treadwell onto the field for those 17 snaps, which accounted for more plays than Treadwell’s previous seven contests combined (including inactives). That change begs the question: Was Treadwell one of the details in which the former offensive coordinator wasn’t on the same page with the rest of the staff?

It will be interesting to see where Treadwell’s playing time and performance go from here, particularly considering the Vikings saw Diggs blossom after a slow start last season. It wasn’t until a Charles Johnson injury got Diggs a more advanced look, and then Minnesota made him a staple of the offense coming out of the Week 5 bye in 2015. Part of the knock on Diggs was also his focus and dedication to the nuances of his position, too. The key difference, though, is Diggs was seen as a player in college who could create separation when he was dialed in.

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