Jordan Addison: Scouting Report. Everything You Need To Know

Draft
News

Reading Time: 5 minutes.

NEXT ON OUR SCOUTING REPORTS IS JORDAN ADDISON. CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2023 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORTS HERE.

FULL LIST OF 2023 SCOUTING REPORTS

Height: 6’0”
Weight: 175 lbs
College: USC
Year: Junior
Position: Wide Receiver

BACKGROUND

Jordan Addison is one of the most exciting receivers in all of college football. His explosiveness, twitchiness and route running make him a top wide receiver prospect heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Born in Frederick, Maryland, Addison attended Tuscarora High School where he played multiple positions. Including quarterback, defensive back and wide receiver. He made the Baltimore Touchdown Club Super 22 in 2019, a recognition for the best high school players. Addison left high school as a 3-star prospect and was only ranked #86 at his position by Rivals. Addison then committed to play his college football at Pittsburgh ahead of Notre Dame, South Carolina, Wake Forest and Virginia.

At Pitt, Addison outplayed all expectations. In his freshman year in 2020, Addison had 60 receptions for 666 yards and 4 touchdowns. All those stats led the team. He ended up as the runner-up in the ACC Rookie of the Year, behind Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams.

Then in 2021, Addison had a huge breakout year. He had 100 receptions in 13 games, 1593 yards, averaging close to 16 yards a catch and also caught 17 touchdowns. This amazing year ended with Addison lifting the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s top receiver.

Then in May 2022, Addison decided to enter the transfer portal and after weeks of national speculation, he announced he would be heading to USC to play under Lincoln Riley.

In his first 4 games at USC, Addison showcased why he is one of college football’s top receivers with close to 340 yards and 6 receptions.

Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, Jordan Addison should be spoken about as one of the top receivers and will be an impact player at the next level. With so many layers to his game and so many different ways to win, it is expected that Addison will be a first-round pick.

Watch the video below which shows why Jordan Addison is such an exciting and explosive prospect.

STRENGTHS

Separation

The keyword to Jordan Addison’s strengths is separation. How open he gets and how he creates that separation is what makes him such an exciting prospect. On tape, he is just open all of the time.

There are many levels to Addison’s game which allow him to create such separation. From his speed, route running, his fidgety activity and his yard after the catch ability.

Firstly, Addison is extremely twitchy. He has the dynamic athleticism which allows him to snake off defenders, forcing them to misdiagnose his movement. He can disguise his routes really well by selling fakes, both with his head movement and active footwork.

Speed

Secondly, Addison possesses true speed. His rapid speed allows him to get downfield quickly and makes him extremely profitable as a deep threat. Not only does Addison possess top-tier speed, but he is also able to change up his pace rather than truly relying on his speed to win. He can go through the gears extremely well altering his acceleration to the situation he is in. Addison can show patience before getting into top gear, but, he also shows extremely good stop/start ability. He then possesses the blue-chip explosiveness to burst into his step creating separation before the defender has been able to react.

This explosiveness and separation allows Addison to have extremely good yards after the catch ability, averaging 6.5 yards after the catch in 2021. When he finds himself with as much separation as Addison does, he of course is able to speed away from covering defenders. But, he is also able to do it through traffic. Addison possesses really good, active footwork which makes defenders miss after the catch. He is elusive and slippery and can glide through traffic and evade tackles.

Route Running

It is Jordan Addison’s route running that really sets him apart. He is an exceptional route runner who is able to run a diverse route tree to impeccable standards. He can run smooth, patient routes but can also go to the other end of the spectrum and run snappy, sharp routes. Addison can change direction in an instant which allows him to run quick, slick and crisp routes where he can plant his foot and cut extremely quickly. This works extremely well when he works across the middle where he can expose and manipulate coverage, finding space.

Addison is also able to let plays develop and be patient, which is his key to those silky smooth routes he can run, especially deep. He runs clean, polished routes where he can read defences to identify the space and zone, he then allows his routes to evolve and develop before he takes what he is given and locates where he needs to be to make a play.

Addison is capable of running any route, whether it is deep, over the middle or catching screens out of the backfield. He is a big play threat on any yardage and takes up considerable defensive attention on every play.

Then we come to his ability at the catch point. Addison has sticky, clean hands and his long arms mean he can pluck the ball from anywhere. He is mostly secure at the catch point and his willingness to fight and his determination to win means he can turn throws which look like guaranteed interceptions into big gains. When locating the ball Addison shows good control both in his ball skills and spacial awareness. He is able to haul in ridiculous catches, while making sure he is inbound with his feet down when near the boundary markers.

Finally, Addison will also offer versatility. Of course he can run every route, but he will also offer kick return ability. He also shows effort as a blocker, meaning he should be able to stay on the field for all 3 or 4 downs.

WEAKNESSES

The biggest knocks on Jordan Addison will be his size, strength and stature. While Addison plays much bigger and tougher than his size may suggest, he won’t and should not be asked or expected to prevail in physical situations.

This may lead to some evaluating Addison as more of a number 2 wide receiver than a number 1. For a team who already has a big outside receiver in place, dropping Addison in feels like an optimal scenario.

Getting Addison working space, especially over the middle where he can create elite separation would be ideal. While Addison more than holds his own and is more than competent as an outside receiver weapon, because he is shorter than you would like, he isn’t going to be able to contest jump balls as good as some.

Lastly, Addison has shown some drops which need to be cleaned up. He had 10 drops through the 2020 & 2021 seasons. These are concentration drops where he just needs to be more focused on hauling the ball in before thinking ahead.

SUMMARY

When drafting Addison you will have to put him in the right position to succeed. While he won’t be an exclusive slot receiver as many will suggest, you will want to make sure you put him in situations where he can create separation rather than have him battle contested catches.

Right now, Jordan Addison is one of the most exciting receivers in college football, who has a clear projection to the next level. He has a really high floor while possessing a really high ceiling to work with.

Given the right scheme and given the right opportunity, there should be no doubt that Addison will be just as creative in the NFL.

In a receiver class which is underwhelming compared to what we have become accustomed to with previous classes, Addison should be a first-round player and a day 1 starter.

How good of a prospect is Jordan Addison? Let us know over on Twitter @NinetynineYards

MOCK DRAFT SIMULATOR

You can check out this YouTube playlist for all our 2023 Draft Talk content!