Jordan Addison - WR - USC
The Route Running aficionado
Good player. It’s clear Addison gives a shit about the little things, always a good trait.
He has quick footwork, and is deceptive all throughout the route. Multiple releases, head fakes and misdirection before breaking, and when he does cut, he has great balance. Addison can sink his hips and make sharp turns that are basically impossible to keep up with in man coverage.
He’s also a willing blocker despite not being the biggest guy, plus his balance and footwork make him tough to bring down after the catch. There exists a world where Addison becomes a Davante Adams/Stefon Diggs type route running force at the NFL level.
With that being said, Adams outweighs him by nearly 40 pounds (178 vs 216), and even Diggs weighed around 200 when he was drafted, Diggs is quite strong. Addison’s frame and play strength could limit his ceiling. As good as his footwork is, sometimes in press coverage CBs still manage to get their hands in his frame, and he doesn’t quite have the upper body strength to either bat their hands away or run through it. He’s played more on the outside this year, and there are definitely reps where he gets knocked off-course.
Chris Olave, Devonta Smith, and Calvin Ridley also dealt with these questions, and they’re all very good players now. But Olave’s deep speed is different, and pressing him is more risky. Devonta Smith isn’t a horrible comparison, and even though Smith is/was built like Jack Skellington, I think he played stronger through contact. Ridley isn’t a bad comp either but Ridley doesn’t really run routes quite like anyone else, he’s very severe with all his angles and gets open really late in the route. Jahan Dotson is also a name that comes to mind, and he just had a promising rookie year. So there is plenty of reason to believe slighter players can still be pro bowlers.
Addison’s footwork would be much scarier if he was also a burner, but to me he’s not fast enough that a DB is completely screwed if they take a false step at the line (Not that he’s slow, just not a burner like someone like Olave is) Overall, I think Addison is going to be a good player for a long time, but to me, he’s more of a great member of a WR core than a centerpiece of a whole offense, which is fine.
Grade: 6.3 - Future Above Average Starter - Early 2nd Round
Kenny Pickett Jordan Addison reunion
Even though it isn’t the main part of his game, I feel his catching ability is solid. Granted he isn’t making contested catches and mossing people, but is he making snags on the sideline and in the back of the end zone frequently.