Vikings WR Adam Thielen on the Rise Despite D2 Background

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Adam Thielen's training camp roommate with the Minnesota Vikings is fellow rookie wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

Patterson was a first-round draft selection from Tennessee the Vikings traded four picks to move up and get. Thielen came from Division II Minnesota State and didn't land on the roster until after a rookie minicamp he was invited to on a tryout basis.

But Patterson tells Thielen he would've played alongside him had he been at Tennessee. Thielen has turned heads in practices this spring and summer with crisp route running and NFL-caliber speed. He's trying to become the latest prospect to make the team despite coming from a smaller school.