NFL Draft Profile: Minnesota Vikings Select USC WR Jordan Addison
#3
Pos: WR
Ht: 5111
Wt: 173
Hand: 0868
Arm: 3078
Wing: 7448
40: 4.49
DOB: 1/27/2002
Hometown: Frederick, MD
High School: Tuscarora
Eligibility: 2023
Jordan Addison
USC Trojans
One-Liner:
An extremely productive receiver, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner can start early in the NFL thanks to his refined route running, great hands, and impressive movement skills; that said, his size, play strength, and good-not-great speed will limit him at the next level. Jordan Addison projects as a starter at Z or from the slot early in his career. He can be a top option with further development.
Evaluation:
The early stages of the 2021 college football season featured excellent play from the Pittsburgh offense. While Kenny Pickett, the program’s quarterback and a 2022 first-round pick, played a large role in the team’s success, Jordan Addison built upon a strong 2020 freshman season and became the Biletnikoff Award winner in 2021. An above-average athlete, Addison boasts a flexible frame, exciting linear and lateral burst, and impressive change of direction ability. His speed, while not a rare or special trait, is notable and enables him to win deep at times. Moreover, Addison is a refined route runner who understands space and blind spots. He wins his releases with hesitation, quickness, footwork, and burst. Once into his route, he exhibits advanced route salesmanship - including jab steps, head fakes, body language, speed adjustment, and directional manipulation - to force defensive backs into false steps and early hip turns. He then makes sharp, sudden cuts back to back with great hip sink and without losing speed. As a result, he is a dangerous option on double moves and any sharp-breaking routes. He capitalizes on defenders’ mistakes. Addison uses his hands, burst, and leg drive to beat physical coverage. Additionally, he is a reliable hands catcher who has the body control, timing, ball tracking, and catch radius to adjust to errant passes. He does not shy away from contact at the catch point and even shields the ball despite his smaller frame. He is a threat to win contested catches if the pass is thrown well. After the catch, Addison is creative and shifty. His flexibility, feet, salesmanship before cuts, and burst make him a dangerous ball carrier. He has solid contact balance. Despite his various positive traits, Addison’s draft profile is not unblemished. First and foremost, his listed 175 pounds is small for any NFL position. Naturally, then, his play strength is somewhat underwhelming. He is regularly overpowered and shows little effort as a blocker. Contact in his route slows or stifles him. Further, he fails to consistently use his hands as a route runner and, in doing so, invites physical coverage. He struggles to break tackles once he is wrapped up. What’s more, Addison’s speed precludes him from being a true deep threat. Although he is an excellent route runner, the Pittsburgh standout sometimes fails to sink his hips and employ salesmanship. He can be boxed out at the catch point.
Grade:
2nd Round
Background:
Jordan Addison is coming to Southern California from Pitt, as one of the best receivers in the nation. In 2021, he was named the Biletnikoff Award winner as the best receiver in the country, becoming the third Pitt player to do so. Addison had over fifteen hundred receiving yards and seventeen touchdowns. Even in 2020, Jordan Addison was a major player for Pitt where he was a Freshman All American. At Tuscarora High School, Addison was incredibly versatile playing receiver, quarterback, and defensive back. Addison was born January 27, 2002 to Keisha Blackman and Rolando Addison. Jordan has six brothers and three sisters. Now at USC, Addison will be a key contributor and receiving threat for the Trojans.
Quotes:
"Yeah, I mean, we've worked hard through our careers as coaches, my career as a coach, to do things with integrity. I think we've largely done that throughout my career. I think if you ask people that have been around us, been in the inner workings with us, they know how we go about our business. When someone challenges that with no facts and just only emotion, yeah, I mean, I think you take it personally. Absolutely you do. I understand this is an emotional time, it's an emotional game with a lot of emotional people. We recruited Jordan just like we did every other transfer. Jordan got in the transfer portal. Jordan came on a visit to USC. Despite all the negative things that were put out magically by somebody, he's a kid that's all about ball. All he wanted to do in his entire official visit was talk ball. We literally missed like several of the meals, entertainment we had scheduled so we could watch more film and talk more ball. That's all he's about. I think he's really been misrepresented throughout this whole thing. Hopefully as this year goes on people get to see the quality of young man that he is. He's done a great job for us so far. He's been a great member of this team. Seems extremely happy to be in L.A. and playing for USC."
- USC HC Lincoln Riley on WR Jordan Addison
