Analysis
4/28/23
4 min read
Fantasy Football: Jordan Addison Will Have Instant Impact for Vikings
The 2023 NFL Draft was filled with talented wide receivers, and the Minnesota Vikings were smart to land Jordan Addison with the 23rd overall pick.
The team wants to free up star receiver Justin Jefferson, so expect Addison to have an immediate impact. Here is why Addison is a perfect fit for the Vikings and how his skills and abilities can help the team in Year 1.Â
Fantasy Breakdown
College Review
Addison had an impressive two seasons at Pittsburgh, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns as a freshman before tallying 1,593 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during in his sophomore year when he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award. He transferred to USC for 2022 and grew from a slot wide receiver to having 63 percent of his targets come from playing out wide. Addison showcased his ability to play in the slot and out wide during in college, which is crucial for the NFL.
The transfer let us see what type of player Addison will be at the next level. Addison isn’t a go-route type of wide receiver; in 2022 at USC, he ran 28.2 percent of his routes as vertical and only averaged 1.21 yards per route run. In 2021 at Pittsburgh, only 14.3 percent of his route tree was vertical, but he ran more crossing, post or corner routes.
Addison is not the fastest straight-line speed player on the field. However, he doesn’t lose speed in and out of breaks and will separate on these routes. This skill set is why his corner and post yards per route run are so high. Addison compares to Calvin Ridley, and the reason for this is he will be utilized to free up Jefferson and take advantage when teams force him to win against their secondary corners.
The numbers on the Route Tree will not add up to 100% because of the lack of video for some routes and screen passes not being on the route tree.
NFL Role
Kevin O’Connell took over as the head coach in Minnesota in 2022, and in his first year, there was an intriguing emphasis on utilizing post/corner routes and not necessarily a ton of vertical routes. In 2022, the Vikings were one of only three teams that had a total percentage of their route tree over 15 percent on corner/post routes. This matches Addison's strengths because of his ability not to lose speed running these routes.
| Season | Team | Player | Corner | Post | Vertical |
| 2022 | Minnesota Vikings | Justin Jefferson | 13.68% | 6.98% | 13.53% |
| 2022 | Minnesota Vikings | Adam Thielen | 7.87% | 7.41% | 15.90% |
| 2022 | Minnesota Vikings | K.J. Osborn | 6.06% | 9.52% | 17.65% |
Last season, the Vikings' primary wide receivers ran corner and post routes more frequently than the league average, exceeding it by 6.8 percent. Addison's addition means the team has even more options to move the ball downfield effectively. Addison's college experience as a successful route runner on these two routes bodes well for him to become a deep-threat player in the Vikings' offense. Additionally, with Adam Thielen's release departure in free agency, Addison can step up as the team's second wide receiver. Addison always profiled as a high-level wide receiver two, and with Jefferson being a top tier 1, this is a perfect fit.
In Conclusion
Addison played in the slot and out wide during his college years. This bodes well for how the O’Connell system will utilize him, and it gives the Vikings a player that can win effectively on these routes that require you not to lose speed in and out of breaks. Jefferson gets a player that allows him to work more freely and possibly avoid double coverage.
