Cordarrelle Patterson Performing Well Early On With The Vikings

May 3, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) runs a route in drills at the Vikings rookie minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this month Cordarrelle Patterson saw the field for the first time as NFL rookie during the Minnesota Viking’s opening rookie minicamp.

According to Vikings.com blogger, Mike Wobschall, Cordarrelle Patterson already stands out among the other rookie receivers. Wobschall says “Patterson moves effortlessly on the field and does nearly everything better than the other receivers.”

Head coach Leslie Frazier also had plenty of good things to say about the former Tennessee Volunteer standout and the Vikings decision to take the talented wide receiver in the first round.

Frazier said the team felt comfortable about Patterson’s passion for the game, as well as his character, saying”

"We had a good understanding of who he was, understood his background, how he had gotten to Tennessee. We didn’t feel like we left any stones unturned. We went all the way back to high school and talked to a lot of different people. We felt pretty good about making the choice."

Character was a big concern for Patterson, even though he never ran into any trouble while he was at Tennessee. The biggest reasons given for the hesitations regarding Patterson were his combine interviews, which are apparently what won over Frazier and the Vikings.

"Frazier:”…when I heard his story when we were at the Combine the first time I met him. I listened to him talk about his relationship with his mom and what it was like growing up and hearing his transition from high school to some other school that really turned out not the ideal school, then going on to the junior college. Hearing him talk about some of the things he had gone through to get to where he is now, you get a feel that this guys has a purpose, he understands what’s important. Just hearing the story kind of convinced me he would be a good fit for us.”"

Frazier and the Vikings already have big plans for Patterson, especially after trading away wide receiver Percy Harvin. Frazier said the plan at first is to play Patterson in one spot and let him get acclimated to the position. The Vikings head coach also said the team already has some ways they can get the ball to Patterson and some ideas on how they want to use him in the early stages.

The Vikings got the most dynamic playmaker in the draft, but now it’s time to see if that playmaking ability will translate well to the NFL.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter, @CaptainZach1, for more on the Vols in the NFL and as always, be sure to follow @AllforTennessee