Rookie Spotlight: Jordan Addison, USC
Height: 5-11
Weight: 173
Hands: 8 3/4″
Arm: 30 7/8″
40 yard dash: 4.49 sec (projected)
Age: 21
NFL Comparison: Devonta Smith, Stefon Diggs
Breakout Age: 18 (true freshman)

Offensive Market Share Metrics

Receptions: 17%
Receiving Yards: 19%
Receiving TDs: 19%
Total Production Percentage: 18%

As a high school prospect: Class of 2020; 4-star

Pros
– Broke out as a true freshman
– Biletknikoff Award winner as a sophomore
– Smooth, sleek and efficient route runner
– Extremely shifty, especially after the catch
– Quick to get to top speed
– Solid hands that improved over career, at his best they are magical
– Elite getting in and out of breaks
– Expansive catch radius
– Impressive body control

Cons
– Was underwhelming post-USC transfer, even given elite QB play
– Was actually the beneficiary of NFL-level QB play for all 3 years in college
– Allows the ball into his chest at times
– Lightweight
– Debatable long speed
– Miserable contested-catch rate in 2022

Scouting Notes:
A former Biletnikoff winner, Addison is one of the more NFL ready WRs in this year’s draft, mainly due to his top-notch route running. Addison can run all the routes necessary to be a no.1 WR at the next level, and he does so with little wasted motion. He displays quick, decisive feet, and Addison is lightning fast getting in and out of his breaks.He’s an expert at changing his tempo too. Explosive when he cuts, Addison follows up with an athletic fluidity that makes him slippery to catch when he’s got the ball in his hands. And by the way, those hands have improved over his time in college, going from being suspect at Pitt to having some of the most secure hands in the country at USC. Addison isn’t lanky, but he manages to nab most balls thrown in his direction and makes circus catches look like child’s play. Addison is aggressive to attack the ball at its high point, but he can let the ball into his chest when he’s mid-stride, something that he’ll need to work on in the pros. He’s also not as valuable as you’d like in the contested-catch realm with a 22% completion rate in 2022 on balls from QB Caleb Williams. He was better, but still not great catching contested balls at Pitt from Kenny Pickett in 2021, garnering a fairly meager 55.5% contested-catch rate. Addison is slight for a potential no.1 WR, but he’s got the ball skills and evasiveness to mitigate that, at least after the catch. He’ll still need to add at least 10 pounds of muscle. There are also questions about Addison’s speed. Some say he’ll run in the 4.3’s but other prognosticators have him running considerably slower than that. Regardless of his final time there, Addison is one of the quickest, shiftiest and most efficient runners in the draft, and he gets to his top speed swiftly.

Fantasy Outlook:
From a fantasy perspective, what I really like about Addison is his nose for the end-zone. He had 17 TDs in his 2021 Biletnikoff season, and it’s good to know he can be a consistent red-zone target in light of his size. Addison excelled at slants, crosses and outs, so I think a lot of teams will have him pegged as a slot guy, especially considering his slighter build. I think it’d be a mistake to keep him there all the time though, because he’s adept at operating on the outside as well – There really isn’t a bad spot on the field for the guy. The question in regards to Addison will be if he can beat the sticky press in the NFL, something he didn’t have to do much in college and something he’s not necessarily built to combat. That being said, he displays escapability and separation that may dispel the need to use much force. Addison’s NFL readiness makes him a prime first round draft candidate, and a strong showing at the Combine could put him in the mix to be one of the top 3 WRs taken. If you want him in early dynasty rookie drafts, you’re likely going to have to take him in the first half of Round 1 in traditional 1QB formats.