Jordan Addison NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for USC WR

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 173

HAND: 8 3/4"

ARM: 30 7/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

40-YARD DASH: 4.49

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 34"

BROAD: 10'2"

POSITIVES

— Great speed and acceleration. Hits top speed in a hurry and has the horsepower to separate consistently.

— Elite stop-start explosiveness.

— Nimble, efficient route-runner. Doesn't waste steps; understands how to manipulate leverage. Explodes out of breaks.

— Very natural pass-catcher. Hands magnetize to the ball. Rarely has frustrating drops.

— Great with the ball in his hands. Can be fed screens or jet sweeps and consistently produces at a high level.

NEGATIVES

— Skinny frame at 175 pounds.

— Poor ability to get off the line versus press coverage. Big, long CBs can give him fits.

— Inconsistent ball-winner. Has great flashes at the catch point, but doesn't have the strength to win that way consistently in the NFL.

— Below-average blocker. Effort is decent, but doesn't have the weight and strength.

2022 STATISTICS

— 11 GM, 59 REC, 875 YDS (14.8 AVG), 8 TD

NOTES

— Born January 27, 2002

— 4-star recruit in Pitt's 2020 class

— 32 starts over three seasons (21 at Pitt, 11 at USC)

— Minor knee injury in 2022; missed two games (Arizona, Cal)

— 2021 first-team All-American, 2022 first-team All-Pac-12

— 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner

OVERALL

Jordan Addison is lighter than the typical first-round receiver, but he has all the athleticism in the world to make up for it.

Addison is as bouncy as it gets at the receiver position. The 6'0", 175-pounder plays with rapid-fire feet and dangerous explosive ability. Those traits serve him well as a route-runner. Addison's best stretches of route running feature great pacing and the ability to stop and burst out of breaks in the blink of an eye without any wasted movement. From there, Addison's acceleration and speed take over. Addison jolts to top speed in an instant and he's got A-tier speed to threaten defenses both horizontally and vertically. While not quite an elite, DeSean Jackson-type vertical threat, Addison falls into the next tier with the likes of Brandin Cooks. Combine those route-running skills and speed with soft, natural hands, and you have a receiver who will be a reliable target.

Addison's real moneymaking trait is what he does with the ball in his hands. All of the explosiveness and speed that do wonders for him as a route-runner shine even more once he has the ball. His ability to get right to top speed often destroys tackling angles for defenders, and very few players have the speed to catch back up. Addison also has better contact balance than his size suggests. He won't bully anybody, but he can bounce off tacklers and minimize contact better than a typical 175-pound receiver. Addison's ball-carrying tools also make him a great option for screens and jet sweeps.

Where Addison may struggle, especially early on, is with physicality. Addison doesn't handle press coverage well right now. He has the explosiveness to make defenders miss from time to time, but when corners get their hands on him, he loses all his momentum and is prone to being run into the boundary. He will need an offense that keeps him in off alignments and regularly shifts/motions him, similar to how the Jets handled Garrett Wilson as a rookie. Moreover, Addison is up and down at the catch point as a result of his poor play strength. He can jump and find the ball very comfortably but sometimes doesn't have the muscle to fight and hold onto the ball.

Addison's size and play strength may limit him from being a superstar No. 1 receiver. However, his route-running chops, speed and ball-carrying skills will make him an impact player soon. Addison would be the perfect explosive playmaker type to complement a more stable, ball-winning receiver on the outside.

GRADE: 7.9 (Potential Impact Player)

OVERALL RANK: 23

POSITION RANK: WR3

PRO COMPARISON: Garrett Wilson

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen