The Minnesota Vikings haven’t had too much success in their recent drafts, whether it was selecting players that didn’t pan out or those who ended up getting hurt. But one guy sticks out in the last few years. In 2023, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah selected Jordan Addison, a wideout out of USC.
Vikings Employ One Member of the All-Underrated Team
Addison has been the perfect sidekick for Justin Jefferson in his two seasons with the Vikings. He’s a productive and dangerous receiver, and defenses have to account for him in his own right.
That’s why Addison is part of Bleacher Report’s All-Underrated team, assembled by Gary Davenport.
He wrote about his team: “The league is loaded with players who don’t get the credit they should. Some haven’t been around that long. Others are mired on bad teams. Some are late-bloomers or play positions short on sizzle. Whatever the reason, it begs the question: If you assembled a team of those players, what would it look like?”
Davenport also implemented some rules: “The rules here are simple. We’ve assembled a team of players who have never been recognized as either a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro. The result is a team that could contend for the Super Bowl. And that might get these players noticed.”
If the team were real, Jordan Love would quarterback the offense that has Bucky Irving and Chuba Hubbard in the backfield. In that scenario, Addison lines up next to Jauan Jennings and Jakobi Meyers.
“If Jordan Addison played somewhere other than Minnesota, he might already have a higher profile than he does,” Davenport hypothesized. “After all, Justin Jefferson casts a long shadow.”
Indeed, receivers can disappear in an offense that features Jefferson and his large target share. A good player, however, shines because he can take advantage of defenses looking too much after Jefferson. Addison brings the speed to win over the top, has fantastic hands, is a decent route-runner, and can win contested catches despite his underwhelming size.
Davenport continued: “However, Addison has been a solid young receiver in his own right. Despite averaging only 103.5 targets in his first two NFL seasons, the 5’11”, 175-pounder posted at least 875 receiving yards in both of those campaigns. He has also been an absolute force in the red zone, reeling in 19 touchdowns to date. Calling a recent first-round pick ‘underrated’ might be stretching that term, but Addison might be the No. 1 wide receiver for a number of NFL teams. Here, Addison gets his chance.”
In his rookie season, he quickly stole the WR2 job from K.J. Osborn, and when Jefferson was sidelined with a hamstring injury, Addison showed that he can be the top receiver of an aerial attack. He finished that season with 911 yards and ten touchdowns. Those numbers likely would’ve been higher had Kirk Cousins not gotten hurt.
Last year, despite missing two full games and part of another one with an ankle injury, he still registered 875 yards and nine touchdowns with Sam Darnold throwing the rock. The 1,000-yard mark could be an enticing goal for this year, but a looming suspension might stand in the way of that.
Addison’s two driving-related incidents, one in each of the last two summers, sabotage an otherwise excellent start to his career.
The 23-year-old will once again have a new quarterback throwing him the ball. He’ll catch passes from J.J. McCarthy. The duo has all summer to form a connection with each other, hopefully allowing Addison to take the next step.
Addison is still under contract for one more season, but he will be eligible for an extension next offseason. The Vikings can also pick up his fifth-year option next year. It’s hard to pay two receivers big money, but the Bengals have just shown it’s not impossible.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
