Jordan Addison's 'growth has created buzz' ahead of second season

“Without Jefferson around, it was easy to visualize how Addison has the ability to be a real No. 1 down the line."

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports | Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The hype surrounding Jordan Addison’s second season is heating up.

Addison put up 911 yards on 70 receptions in 2023, leading all rookie receivers with 10 touchdowns. Much of that success came while the Vikings were without star receiver Justin Jefferson, resulting in Addison often being covered by the opposition’s top corner.

Now, heading into Year 2, Addison looks set to once again line up opposite of Jefferson while benefiting from a year under his belt in the Kevin O’Connell offense. The Vikings will conceivably take a step back at QB after Kirk Cousins’ departure, though Addison still caught 34 passes for 429 yards and three touchdowns after Cousins went down with an Achilles injury last season.

SI’s Albert Breer highlighted Addison in his latest column looking at offseason takeaways, noting NFL fans should “pay closer attention” to Addison.

“Jordan Addison’s growth has created buzz in the Vikings’ facility,” Breer wrote Monday. “With Jefferson away for most of the offseason program, Addison’s progress really showed up—he came back physically stronger in April while maintaining the burst and body control that made him a first-round pick in 2023.”

During the early stages of Vikings OTAs, Addison was tasked with picking up a lot of the WR1 reps while Jefferson was away, presumably waiting for his mega contract to get worked out. Now, with Jefferson back in house, and once star tight end T.J. Hockenson returns from injury, the Vikings offense could potentially have three top receiving targets for opposing defenses to contend with.

“Without Jefferson around, it was easy to visualize how Addison has the ability to be a real No. 1 down the line, and create a pick-your-poison problem for teams trying to defend the former USC standout, Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson all at once,” continued Breer.

While on paper the Vikings weapons look enticing and it's tempting to think about Jefferson, Addison and Hockenson being the 2024 version of the Colts' great trio of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, Minnesota's uncertain future at QB could be a stumbling block for the team's potentially potent offense. Now if Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy can become Minnesota's version of Peyton Manning, things are going to be good for a long time to come.