Stefon Diggs has established himself as one of the best wide receivers of the past decade. The fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has recorded 10,491 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns on 857 receptions, while adding 170 rushing yards and one touchdown on 35 carries. He ranks third in receptions and sixth in both receiving yards and touchdowns since entering the league.
The four-time Pro Bowler will play on his fourth team of his career next season after he joined the New England Patriots on a three-year, $63.5 million contract that includes $25 million in guarantees during the offseason. While Diggs has had a great career up to this point, his playing days nearly began with the Washington Commanders instead of the Minnesota Vikings.
Former Commanders GM Shares How Dan Snyder Blocked Him From Drafting Stefon Diggs
Scot McCloughan served as the general manager of the then-Washington Redskins in 2015 and 2016. He recently appeared on “The Kevin Sheehan Show”, where he revealed that he was told he could not draft Diggs due to injury and off-the-field concerns.
When asked about passing on the former Maryland Terrapins wide receiver, McCloughan shared:
“Yes, I was told I couldn’t by the owner. He was sitting next to me when the scout told me about him… He stopped everything… He’s like, ‘we can’t, we can’t draft him’. I’m like, ‘dude, why’d you say it in front of the owner? Let me game plan’. Because I wanted Diggs. He was the highest-rated guy on my board, at the time.”
After clarifying that Diggs was the highest-rated player on his draft board when the franchise took Jamison Crowder in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, McCloughan further mentioned:
“[Former head coach] Jay [Gruden] wanted no part of him. Zero. I said, ‘believe in me, man, this guy is going to be a good player’.”
While passing on Diggs certainly was a mistake, Crowder has had a solid career up to this point. He has recorded 4,898 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns on 440 receptions, adding 82 rushing yards on 17 carries. He also served as a punt return specialist, returning 138 punts for 1,136 yards and one touchdown.
It is unclear what character concerns Dan Snyder had regarding Diggs that led to him forcing the front office to pass on the star wide receiver.
While the two-time All-Pro wide out has had less-than-ideal departures from some of his previous franchises, he has not had any off-the-field issues during his career.