Vikings Select USC WR Jordan Addison in New 2023 Mock Draft From PFF

Addison would give the Vikings another talented receiver to pair with Justin Jefferson long-term.

Much of the early conversation around the Vikings' options with the 23rd overall pick in April's NFL draft has been focused on the cornerback position. It's clearly the team's biggest positional need at this juncture, and this is a loaded class of corners coming out of college.

Going CB in the first round is far from Minnesota's only option, though. What if they take a wide receiver instead? That's what happens in the latest mock draft from PFF's Mike Renner. With four corners already off the board at 23, Renner has the Vikings selecting USC wide receiver and former Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison.

Addison is a dream scenario for the Vikings. He’s not just a separator, but also one who will make you pay down the football field if you tilt your safeties toward Justin Jefferson. He won the Biletnikoff Award, given to college football's top receiver, in 2021 and tallied 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

It's not too difficult to talk yourself into the Vikings taking a first-round wide receiver for the second time in four years. It couldn't possibly have worked out better the last time they did it. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will want to use free agency to fill some of the clear holes on this roster, most notably at cornerback, where there are plenty of intriguing veteran options on the market. By doing that, he'll be able to go into the draft not married to taking a player at a specific position in the first round.

The case for drafting a wide receiver early is that the Vikings don't have a long-term running mate for Justin Jefferson at the position. Tight end T.J. Hockenson looks like he'll be part of the Vikings' plans for a long time, but they could use another wideout to stretch the field and capitalize when teams focus on Jefferson and Hockenson. K.J. Osborn, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, seems to be best suited as a No. 3 receiver who spends most of his time in the slot. Jalen Nailor showed some flashes late in his rookie season, but he probably doesn't have a ton of upside as a sixth-round pick.

The Vikings' current No. 2 receiver is Adam Thielen, who turns 33 in August and has one 100-yard outing in his last 35 regular season games. Thielen is a future Vikings Ring of Honor member who is still very dangerous in the red zone, but his athleticism has fallen off and his lofty cap hit for 2023 ($19.97 million) makes his future uncertain. Last week, he said the team and his camp were working through some things with his contract.

Addison, 21, would give the Vikings a legitimate No. 2 with star potential opposite Jefferson. He blew up as a sophomore at Pittsburgh in 2021, catching 100 passes for 1,593 yards with 18 total touchdowns in 14 games. Addison was a first team All-American and was named college football's top wide receiver that season. He then transferred to USC and didn't put up quite the same numbers, but he still posted a 59/875/8 line in 11 games while dealing with an ankle injury late in the year. That included four 100-yard outings, highlighted by a 7/172/2 game against Stanford and an 11/178/1 performance against UCLA.

Addison is an all-around receiver who would bring a field-stretching element to the Vikings' offense. He has legit deep speed and change-of-direction ability, which makes him a dangerous route runner at all three levels. He also has plenty of ball skills, although he had occasional drop issues at Pitt. In college, he was able to create consistent separation and do damage after the catch as well.

The knock on Addison is that he has a small frame at 6'0", 175 pounds, similar to that of 2020 Biletnikoff and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith. Physicality is not a big part of his game, which raises some questions about how he'll fare against press man coverage and in contested catch situations at the NFL level. Still, his refined skill set and athleticism should mostly outweigh concerns about his size and strength.

In Renner's mock, Addison is the second receiver off the board after TCU's Quentin Johnston, taken shortly before Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt (the 2022 Biletnikoff winner). Any of those four could potentially be options for the Vikings in the first round when April rolls around. Leaning into the offensive side of the ball and giving Kevin O'Connell another young stud at receiver might be the way to go.

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