Jordan Addison 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the USC WR

Jordan Addison, USC: 5’11”, 175 pounds.

A four-star recruit in 2020, Jordan Addison immediately became a valuable contributor for Pitt, touching the ball 69 times for 724 yards and four touchdowns.

As a sophomore, he caught exactly 100 passes for just under 1,600 yards and he led the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns. He was named the Biletnikoff winner and a first-team All-American for his performances.

Addison decided to transfer and pair up with Lincoln Riley and eventual Heisman winner Caleb Williams at USC in 2022. He only played in 11 games and was “limited” to first-team All-Pac-12, but still put up just over 900 yards and eight TDs on 63 touches.

Jordan Addison scout report: Strengths

+ Was a dynamic play-maker for the Panthers, who can make things happen on designed touches and winning down the field as somebody they routinely moved around the formation. At USC it felt much more like somebody truly winning as a route-runner.

+ Quickly gets up to full speed and can open up the field on deep post routes across the field, creating space between the safeties and the underneath layer of the coverage.

+ Very disciplined with staying straight in his initial stem before fading around his corner on the sidelines.

+ When leverage dictates that he has to release opposed to the break (direction), he still has that extra gear to get to the point where he needs to be, as his QB puts it there.

+ With the way he threatens off the line, he is consistently able to make corners overrun the break point on hitches and curls for easy-looking completions, and he aggressively works back down the stem.

+ Has a knack for manipulating DBs and getting them to lean against trigger-steps and head-nods.

+ Consistently freezes defenders on breaks to the inside by giving a sudden shake, but can also make that hard one-legged plant to get out to the sidelines on a 90-degree cut.

+ Does a great job of tilting back into the space of defenders and stepping on their toes, as he makes his cut.

+ Effectively rolls off either foot to flatten out his routes and be friendly to the quarterback on the fly.

+ Makes challenging catches, where he makes having to fully extend for the ball look easy by slowing its momentum with his fingertips.

+ While he does recognize when he’s approaching/being led into a hit and turns his body away when needed, there’s no reluctancy to attack the pass in the air. You see him go airborne over the middle of the field and snatching the ball above his head on multiple occasions.

+ Pretty unfazed by arms of defenders restricting his vision on the ball and understands when to not extend his arms too much for the catch.

+ For a smaller build, Addison maintains space in the boundary for the ball to arrive. He uses his body to shield the ball, while instantly pulling it into his body, so it can’t be dislodged late.

+ Had an incredible play against Virginia, where a DB basically had the interception already, but Addison came back to the ball, took it away from the defender and took it for a 60+ yard TD.

+ Uses the momentum of the ball to turn through either shoulder and get vertical.

+ Brings some deceptive body-language and great start-stop ability after the catch.

+ Has that innate feel for the bodies around him once the ball is in his hands and can incorporate different footwork on the fly, making defenders stop their feet and create angles for himself.

Jordan Addison scout report: Weaknesses

– Rather unproven working against press-coverage or being challenged in his stem altogether, with how much he’s put in the slot and off the line generally. Those Oregon State corners were able to make him adjust a bit by getting physical with him.

– Would benefit from selling the break on stutter-fades and similar route more intensely, to get the DB to react.

– There’s room for improvement in Addison’s feel for drifting towards open space or just getting to a secondary route more quickly.

– Had 21 drops over his first two years, just taking his eyes off the ball a little too early at times.

– Doesn’t mind putting hands on DBs, but isn’t actively seeking out or controlling guys. His team was better served used him as an fake bubble option or having him sell vertical routes.

Jordan Addison scout report: Grade

Jordan Addison is not the kind of receiver who you roll out onto the field and he stands out above the group physically. Running a 4.49 at 173 pounds at the combine was a bit disappointing, but you turn on the film for Addison and he’s just making DBs look slow.

Nobody in this class manipulates the guy across from him and is able to create separation as a route-running specialist as effectively as this guy. At Pitt, to me he appeared like more of a big-play threat, but when he got to USC, his ability to win before the ball is in his hands, really was on display.

For a guy of his stature, Jordan Addison is tremendous at coming up with the ball on contested catch opportunities. He’s ready to go week one more so than anybody else in this class.

Grade: First round.

You might like other 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR), Ohio; Zay Flowers (WR), Boston; Jalin Hyatt (WR), Tennessee; Noah Sewell (LB), Oregon; Drew Sanders (LB), Arkansas; Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA; Bijan Robinson (RB), Texas.

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