The Vikings drafted USC receiver Jordan Addison with the 23rd overall pick of the NFL draft on Thursday night. Here are five things to know about the newest Viking.
Five things to know about Vikings top draft pick Jordan Addison
The USC receiver was selected 23rd overall and is one of the youngest players in this year's draft.
April 28, 2023 at 4:46AM
- Addison stands 5-foot-11 and weighed just 173 pounds at the NFL scouting combine this spring, but he played much bigger for two programs. He was the nation's best receiver with Pittsburgh with 17 touchdowns and the Biletnikoff Award in 2021 playing with quarterback Kenny Pickett. Addison joined Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald Jr. as Pitt receivers to win the Biletnikoff Award. Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick by the Steelers, often leaned on Addison during his own record-setting season.
- Addison transferred to USC last fall and led the Trojans with 875 yards and eight touchdowns and was an All-Pac-12 selection despite missing three games to injury. The lingering ankle injury was cited as a reason for Addison's inconsistent 2022 season with USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner.
- Addison is regarded as a nuanced and fluid route runner who doesn't have to be the best athlete on the field to get open. He wasn't among the top testers at the combine, finishing in the middle of the pack in the 40-yard dash (still with 4.49-second speed) and during explosion and agility testing. On the field, Addison's footwork "features acceleration, dynamic steering and sudden turns at a moment's notice," NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in Addison's profile.
- Only 21 years old, Addison is one of the youngest players in this year's draft class. He was a three-star recruit out of Tuscarora High School in Maryland, but received offers from Michigan and Notre Dame before accepting a scholarship at Pittsburgh. Also a standout defender in high school, Addison was recruited as a cornerback by the Fighting Irish. He played quarterback in youth football.
- Addison's four-year rookie contract will be worth an estimated $14.2 million — compensation based on the 23rd-overall draft slot, according to OverTheCap.com. The estimated cap hit for this season is about $2.6 million. All first-round contracts come with a fifth-year team option, which for Addison will be for the 2027 season. He is the fourth player taken 23rd overall in Vikings franchise history, following left tackle Christian Darrisaw (2021), receiver Laquon Treadwell (2016), and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (2013).
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
