Jordan Addison had 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the Minnesota Vikings’ first two games last year despite only playing 56% of the snaps in Week 1 and 69% in Week 2. The first two weeks set the tone for his rookie year, where he finished with 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Still, he deferred credit for his strong first-year performance to Justin Jefferson.
“I say 18,” he said in late September when I asked him about his early success. “The defense is focusing on him, and me just having one-on-one backside.”
Addison is being deferential to Minnesota’s superstar, but the Vikings put him in a position to succeed after drafting him 23rd-overall last year. They had Jefferson lined up opposite him, T.J. Hockenson as a secondary receiving threat, and Kirk Cousins as an established quarterback under center. They also had their best offensive line in years, and Brian Flores coordinating the defense.
“Knowing that was real comforting,” said Addison last September. “Knowing that they already got an established quarterback and then a No. 1 receiver.”
The Vikings believe in nurture over nature. Ultimately, the players they draft must be talented, but the front office and coaching staff want to put them in a position to succeed. Similar to why they believe J.J. McCarthy will thrive in their system and culture, they gambled on Addison in the first round, knowing they had put a positive structure around him.
Addison is under less pressure than McCarthy, whom the Vikings hope will become their franchise quarterback after trading up to take him 10th-overall. Still, Minnesota drafted Addison to replace Adam Thielen, a popular player and reliable receiver, which comes with meaningful pressure. But just as Addison’s presence helped Jefferson by alleviating some of the defense’s attention on him, Jefferson’s gravity allowed Addison to ascend as a rookie.
Now, Addison must take the next step in his second season.
“From Year 1 to Year 2, you get to go against a guy, most of the time, you’re trying to figure the guy out as you get more reps and stuff,” said Byron Murphy Jr., Minnesota’s best corner who has frequently lined up across from Addison in OTAs. “I just feel like he came back more explosive, more faster with his releases and all that already coming into OTAs.
“I just feel like he’s been working on his craft a lot.”
Jefferson is helping Addison with technical details. Addison is working on his releases off the line this offseason, and Jefferson is one of the league’s best route-runners. “What he tells me is, ‘Trust my feet,’” said Addison. “So basically, trust my legs within my routes, within my cuts, like just trust myself.”
Addison is still building confidence in the technical aspects of his game. At 5’11”, 175 lbs., he’s undersized for a receiver. Addison was a precise route-runner coming out of college, but he lacked catch strength and had trouble consistently winning battles when he had coverage company beside him. By working on his releases, he should be able to use his acceleration, dynamic steering, and sudden movements to separate from defenders in the open field.
“Last year, I wasn’t as confident in my releases,” Addison said at OTAs on Wednesday. “I wasn’t being decisive. I didn’t have no plan when I was coming up to the line. I was kinda just freelancing, doing what I do, trying to make something work. But now, it’s my focus.”
The second-year receiver has worked with Vikings receivers coach Keenan McCardell, a 16-year NFL veteran, to develop a plan at the line of scrimmage. Addison credits McCardell for improving his game as a rookie. While coaching and playing with multiple receiving threats helped Addison in his first year, he’ll be missing Cousins, a vital element of his success from last year.
Cousins trusted Addison in situations where the defense took away Jefferson and Hockenson, culminating in Addison’s two-touchdown, 123-yard performance against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. Addison had become one of Cousins’ primary targets after Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5, and Addison had to adjust to a quarterback carousel after Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 9.
Becoming the primary receiver after Jefferson and Hockenson suffered injuries while catching passes from Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall will prepare him for this season. Addison is Minnesota’s primary receiver in OTAs because of Jefferson’s absence, and Hockenson may start the season on the injured reserve. Therefore, Addison has had ample time to work with McCarthy and potential Week 1 starter Sam Darnold.
Addison may need to catch passes from multiple quarterbacks again this year. Darnold, 26, is entering his seventh season, and the Vikings may lean on his veteran experience early in the year. However, they likely will turn to McCarthy as soon as he’s ready, knowing he has the potential to be a franchise quarterback. Addison believes he’ll be productive regardless of who is under center.
“We playmakers out there, so I don’t feel it’s that hard for us,” he said. “I feel like we go out there, and we get open, so that takes all the pressure off the quarterback.
“It also starts in the building, too, in the locker room outside of football,” he added. “It’s just showing the quarterback that you know what you’re doing.”
Addison may have to work with multiple quarterbacks this year, and opposing defenses will focus on him more if Hockenson is injured to start the season. Still, he has a better plan to attack corners, a strong rookie season to build off of, and No. 18 beside him. The Vikings have put Addison in a position to succeed again, and he can help their transition under center by avoiding a sophom*ore slump.
Tom Schreier
Tom Schreier is the founder and proprietor of Zone Coverage. He created Zone Coverage with the goal of mixing new age media with old-school journalism. His goal was to create an economically sustainable platform for sports content for Minnesota fans. Before Zone Coverage, Tom wrote for Bleacher Report and Yahoo! Sports before joining 105 The Ticket in 2014.
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