Aug 5, 2023; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell takes to wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) during training camp at Twin Cities Orthopedic Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Fans of the Minnesota Vikings saw their rookies in action for the first time in the first preseason game, a loss on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Undrafted linebacker Ivan Pace continued to make plays. He has been a sensational addition. Quarterback Jaren Hall left fans disappointed, but it was his first game, and it was never going to be perfect, so there is no need to overreact.
Draft pick Jordan Addison is confronted with much higher expectations than Hall or Pace, for good reason, as the team invested a first-round pick in him. The last two wideouts the Vikings selected in round one split their matchup against expectations. Justin Jefferson beat them. Laquon Treadwell did not.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a bet, which sure seemed like a bad one for a while. Addison missed most of the offseason workouts, including OTAs and mandatory minicamp, with an injury and later added a reckless driving charge. Both combined resulted in a less-than-ideal start to an NFL career.
Not even a month after his ticket, nobody is focusing on that anymore. The rookie completely flipped the script. His performances in both practice and preseason action have been quite promising. He looks like someone who deserved to hear his name called in the first round.
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips is happy to have the young receiver on his team. He was asked about the 21-year-old, especially his acrobatic (almost) catch in the preseason turned heads.
How rare is it for a guy to have that body control, I just think the talent is there and was there in college. It’s like JJ (Justin Jefferson) coming in and doing what he’s done. That body control was already there, it’s just giving him some opportunities to and learning within our system and kinda how Keenan [McCardell, WRs coach] has coached him and gotten him up to speed even with missing some of the spring, I think he has done an impressive job learning our system and continue to grow.
Wes Phillips
Whenever a receiver is compared to Jefferson, it is a good sign. Addison entered the draft as one of the most prolific college receivers in recent years. In only three college seasons, Addison produced 3,134 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns. And he did it in two different systems. While his numbers dipped from his outstanding award-winning sophomore campaign in Pittsburgh, he still led USC in all receiving categories last year.
Phillips mentioned body control as an area where Addison excels, but he also turned into a WR with fantastic hands despite struggling at the start of his college career with drops. He isn’t a burner but has enough speed to get separation. Gaining separation is certainly his best skill when he puts his excellent route-running on display.
Phillips continued to rave about the 23rd overall pick:
He does have great body control, he is as advertised. He has just got a kind of knack, he understands how to work edges on guys, how to separate, his body control in transition is really impressive, and then the way he moves towards the ball. Some guys you see, I had Jordan Reed in Washington [who was] very similar as far as the hands when they’re just playing catch and not even thinking about it and they catch the ball naturally. He’s got a natural way of reaching out and catching the ball away from his frame.
Wes Phillips
Addison showed his skillset in his first outing in a Vikings jersey, catching one pass for 22 yards. His most impressive play, however, didn’t show on the stat sheet. He made a phenomenal grab on the sideline while dragging his toes. Unfortunately, the officials didn’t give him the catch.
Addison has shown enough to see Kevin O’Connell’s vision as to why he wanted to draft the young star and why he was so excited after making the call. Someone needs to either draw some coverage away from Jefferson or exploit defenses when they are double-teaming the Offensive Player of the Year.
That, in addition to a Pro Bowl tight end and a quarterback that knows how to get the ball to his receivers, bodes well for Vikings fans that want a dynamic passing attack in 2023 and in years to come.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt