Jordan Addison Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile
Jordan Addison Scouting Report: Is he the best receiver in the draft?
2023 NFL Draft Measurables
Jordan Addison 40 Yard Dash Time – 4.40 (estimate)
6’0″ / 175 lbs.
Jordan Addison Scouting Report -Draft Profile
Jordan Addison is a former 4-star recruit out of Tuscarora High School in Frederick, Maryland. According to 247sports, he was the 4th best ATH coming out of the graduating class of 2020. He was also the 131st-ranked prospect in the nation. I was shocked to see that he only had 12 offers coming out of high school. After visiting the University of Maryland, many people believed that is where he would commit. Many people were shocked to see he chose Pitt over Maryland because he only visited one school.
Once he arrived at Pitt, he was immediately a difference-maker. According to ESPN, he racked up 666 yards and 4 touchdowns in his freshman season. Although this was an impressive start, it was far from his peak. In his sophomore season, he had 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. This kind of efficiency is rare to see at the collegiate level and it led to him winning the Biletnikoff Award. For those of you who don’t know, the Biletnikoff Award goes to the best wide receiver in the nation. After winning this award, he put his name in the transfer portal and followed Caleb Williams to USC.
Jordan Addison Strengths
Route Running
When watching his film, I was very impressed with his route-running ability. Right when the ball is snapped, he does a good job at attacking the defensive back when in press coverage. He does this by either running directly at the DB and quickly breaking in his route forcing the DB off-balance. He also will often do a double move at the line of scrimmage forcing the DB’s hips to shift. Having these two moves in his arsenal allows the receiver to quickly gain leverage on the opposing defensive back. Then, when he is ready to break in his route, he sinks his hips and takes off in another direction. He can sink his hips very low, which allows him to maintain his balance while pivoting. These skills will easily transfer over to the NFL because these are skills that top receivers in the league have.
Athleticism
As I mentioned earlier, Addison has elite route-running abilities. This would not be possible if it wasn’t for his athleticism. I am impressed with his acceleration either off the line of scrimmage or when breaking in routes. His acceleration off the snap allows him to gain leverage on the defensive back by shifting their hips early. Then, once their hips are set, he uses his elusiveness to break from the defender and get open.
Another part of his game that impressed me is his ability to shed tackles in the middle of the field. When there is green grass around him when he has the ball, get ready for a big gain. Addison has good balance and quick feet which allows him to shed tackles and extend plays.
Playmaking
As I mentioned earlier, Addison is dangerous when in open space. This is because he is one of the best playmakers in the nation out of all positions. When he gets the ball in his hands, he will not go down easily. Although he isn’t the biggest receiver, he is able to make you miss a tackle because of his elusiveness. I found that Addison is most effective when the ball is given to him in the middle of the field. When he can get the ball in between the numbers, he is good at racking up yards after the catch.
Strong Hands
Throughout his collegiate career, Addison has had nothing but elite quarterbacks throwing the ball to him. Although Kenny Pickett and Caleb Williams are both very talented, they are not perfect. So, Addison would often have to make catches that were thrown outside of his frame. I am really impressed with his ability to manipulate his body when the ball is thrown behind him. He does a good job of catching the ball and often holding onto it through contact.
Jordan Addison Weaknesses
Size and Frame
As I briefly mentioned earlier, Addison is not the ideal frame for an NFL-caliber receiver. According to USCTrojans.com, Addison is listed at 6’0” tall and weighing 175 lbs. Personally, I like seeing receivers who are around 6’0” being around 185-190 lbs. Although being this slim is a positive with his acceleration and shedding tackles, it does hinder a lot as well. The biggest worry that I have is that he could be very injury prone due to his thin frame. As I mentioned earlier, he is most effective in the middle of the field. As you may know, this is also where some of the biggest hits occur. So, if Addison does not put on any extra weight, he could get injured from a hard hit and be sidelined.
Run Blocking
To be an effective run blocker, you need to be tall, strong, and knowledgeable of blocking angles. Unfortunately for Addison, he does not really obtain any of these traits. As I mentioned earlier, his size is a red flag because it can hinder many parts of his game. This is the biggest part of his game that it hinders because many corners now are around 6’2” and 200-210 lbs. To effectively block these corners, you need to be at least that size. But if he can put on a few pounds and work on his blocking angles, it won’t be as bad.
Jordan Addison’s Draft Stock
If the draft were to start today, I would have Addison as my wide receiver #2 behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. In my Smith-Njigba article, I mentioned that he is a consensus top-10 pick. So, as of right now, I would say that Addison is a guaranteed mid-late 1st round pick.
Final Thoughts on Jordan Addison Scouting Report
Jordan Addison has all of the physical tools to make it in the NFL. But I am very concerned about his frame and how that could affect his future. Personally, I would like to see him around the 190-200 lbs. mark before consistently starting in the NFL. But if he stays at 175, I recommend putting him in the slot and play to his strengths.
Player Comparison
I understand that this comparison may be a little bold, but he reminds me of Ja’Marr Chase. I should note that this does not mean he will be as good as Chase, they just have similar play styles.
Jordan Addison Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis
