Injuries hampered him during his college career at Maryland, but the Minnesota Vikings still took wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the fifth round (146th overall) in this year’s draft. The Vikings aren’t looking for Diggs to be a starter as a rookie, but his versatility makes him an intriguing piece for offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

With the offseason trade for Mike Wallace, the Vikings have three wide receivers that are locks for a roster spot (Wallace, Charles Johnson, Jarius Wright) and a fourth that is close to a lock in Cordarrelle Patterson. So Diggs is likely to compete directly with 2014 offseason standout Adam Thielen and undrafted free agent DaVaris Daniels for one or two roster spots during training camp, but it would be a big surprise if Diggs is not among Minnesota’s final 53 heading toward Week 1.

Diggs averaged 25.8 yards per kickoff return over his three seasons at Maryland, including two touchdowns as a freshman in 2012 when he also averaged 10.0 yards per punt return. So camp and the preseason should provide Diggs with plenty of opportunities to prove he can contribute as a return man right away, and it would not be shocking to see him do well enough to take opportunities from others once the regular season starts.

Along with his potential as a kick returner, Diggs’ production as a wide receiver during his college career should not be overlooked. He finished in the top-10 of the Big Ten in receptions (62, fourth) and receiving yards (792, seventh) last year, and he had 14 receiving touchdowns in 28 career games. Diggs also had 32 rushing attempts during his college career, with three pass attempts as well, so his ability as an all-purpose weapon may give Turner some ideas to work on during training camp and preseason games.

Patterson will be the Vikings’ kickoff returner until further notice, and cornerback Marcus Sherels has had staying power as the team’s punt returner. Wright, Thielen and running back DuJuan Harris could also be in the mix for return duties, so Diggs will have to standout to earn a significant role as a return man coming out of training camp.

I don’t see Diggs putting up big numbers during his rookie season, but I do think he has something to offer in a multi-purpose role and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him alter multiple games with big plays. Training camp and the preseason is likely to be a preview of that, and we could easily be talking about a much bigger role for Diggs a year from now.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.