Minnesota Vikings introduce top draft choice Jordan Addison

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Jordan Addison was back at TCO Performance Center on Friday, three weeks removed from his last top-30 visit ahead of the NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings were on the clock with the No. 23 pick Thursday night. Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah told Addison at his pre-draft visit if he was still on the board when they were up, he was their guy. The Vikings entered the draft amid speculation they might move up from the No. 23 pick to get a quarterback. They could also move down and get a top defensive target.

After using all of their 10 allowed minutes, the call went to Addison, a wide receiver out of USC. He’ll compete for the No. 2 job behind Justin Jefferson, and join a corps that includes KJ Osborn and TJ Hockenson. Addison will wear No. 3 with the Vikings.

"Excited to get Jordan to that room. He’s got the work ethic, the character, the attention to detail that fits in that room," Adofo-Mensah said Friday.

It was an anxious few minutes for Addison waiting for the phone to ring, after other teams that said they’d take him in the first round decided to pass. He shared the moment at the NFL Draft in Kansas City with his sisters, his parents and his grandparents.

"Moment was crazy, I’m glad I came to the draft to experience it. Just waiting on that call, I had a lot of emotions going through my body. Once I finally got it, I was really excited just seeing my family smile," Addison said. "It was crazy because it was my last visit. The last time I was on a visit, I was here and they told me if I’m on that board, they were going to grab me. Once Minnesota came up, I just kept checking my phone. The last two minutes came down, they called me. Just excited for that."

Addison started playing football when he was 5 years old, despite pleas to his mother to start two years before that. He played quarterback in youth football until high school, when he moved to wide receiver. He went to Pittsburgh before transferring to USC last season. During the recruiting process, Notre Dame had interest in him as a defensive back.

"I ain’t never considered that. Well I did, but my brother told me you need the ball in your hands. I just stuck with the offensive side and I’m happy to say it paid off," Addison said.

Addison won the Biletnikoff Award in 2021 as college football’s top receiver at Pittsburgh, finishing the season with 100 catches for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games. He was a First Team All Pac-12 pick at USC last season with 59 catches for 875 yards and eight touchdowns, despite missing three games due to injury.

He’s somewhat undersized at 6 feet and 175 pounds, but says making plays comes down to route running and winning at the line of scrimmage. He considers himself an artist.

"When I’m running my routes, I like to look at it like I’m an artist and I’m going out there painting pictures. I just fell in love with the craft and I feel like that’s what’s helping me succeed," Addison said.

The Vikings were more than impressed with him during his pre-draft visit. O’Connell all but gave him a playbook as if he was already on the team.

"The more and more time that you spend with him, the drive that he has to be great. It’s already set in, he’s already asking for a playbook," O’Connell said. "This day is about Jordan, it’s for Jordan and his family and we just really want to celebrate adding a player of his caliber to our football team."

Addison now comes to a franchise that’s had legendary receivers like Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Steve Jordan, Anthony Carter, Ahmad Rashad and currently one of the best in the NFL in Jefferson.

"It’s just really a prestigious place for receivers. Y’all are known for having more than one great receiver, I’m just glad I get to add to this great receiver room that you already got," Addison said.