Jordan Addison took home the Fred Biletnikoff Award (best wide receiver in college football) in 2021 as a consensus All-American while working with Kenny Pickett at Pittsburgh. He racked up 1,593 yards and 100 catches with 17 touchdowns in just 14 games. His dominant season included eight games where he eclipsed the 100-yard mark. Then he transferred to USC to play in a new system with a new quarterback in Caleb Williams and coach Lincoln Riley. At USC, Addison caught 59 passes for 875 yards and eight touchdowns.
One of the most impressive aspects of Addison’s profile is that he has sustained production across multiple offensive systems with multiple quarterbacks. Sure, those quarterbacks have been talented, but he’s had to start his rapport over each time.
What I like most about Addison’s Fantasy Football profile is that despite being undersized, he racked up 29 career receiving touchdowns in just 35 games. To accrue that many touchdowns means you’re doing something right in the red zone, and Addison’s ability to sell routes and create separation by maximizing his space in and out of his breaks are the two reasons he was uber-productive in the touchdown department. And that’s a really good sign for his Fantasy Football outlook at the NFL level.
Addison can play both outside and inside receiver, but his skill set translates best in the slot at the NFL level. That doesn’t mean he’ll play there. Jaylen Waddle, who is even shorter than Addison, has enjoyed an early breakout at the NFL level playing the majority of his snaps on the outside.
Addison’s defining trait is certainly his ability to create separation in and out of his breaks, which most evaluators believe is the most important trait for the position, but it’s not the only thing that stands out. Addison has plenty of examples on tape where he does an excellent job extending away from his frame and tapping his toes in bounds along the sideline on grabs. Addison understands all of the angles on the field and knows how to best maximize space.
Age as of Week 1: 21 | Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 173 | 40-time: 4.49
Comparable body-type to: Marquise Brown
We’re breaking down everything you need to know about Addison from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats and an NFL comparison.
Best Fantasy fits
I have to include the Ravens in this as Lamar Jackson’s best stretch as a passer came with Marquise Brown at wide receiver. Addison is not a one for one comparable with Brown, who is much more of a deep threat and Addison being a much better separator. But they have similar body types and Addison’s ability to create separation immediately would allow for “lay up” throws for Jackson. This would allow him to get the ball out faster on first reads. You may read that and think it’s a knock on Jackson, but it’s actually the opposite. Every quarterback needs a wide receiver to get open fast and often for lay-up throws. Every NFL offense is looking for this and the Ravens simply didn’t have any receiver capable in 2022 once Rashod Bateman got hurt.
How does a less explosive version of Stefon Diggs sound to you? Framed that way it might not sound all that impressive, but in reality, that would be an incredible addition to a Bills offense that struggled to find separation with Gabriel Davis lined up on the outside. Addison would take his game to the next level under the tutelage of Diggs, the perfect receiver from a similar skill set standpoint to learn from. For that reason, I love this fit.
The Giants upgraded by trading for Darren Waller, but they still need a true No. 1 receiver, and Addison perfectly fits what Brian Daboll is looking for — separation skills. He would have an opportunity to slide right into a major role in this offense from both a snap count standpoint and potentially also from a targets standpoint. While he might start No. 2 in the pecking order behind Waller, the veteran tight end has missed time with injuries the past two seasons.
Dynasty outlook
This wide receiver class is a hodgepodge at the top, as we’ve discussed before, so we know that landing spot will play a key role in where Addison comes off the board in your rookie drafts. However, Addison is close to locked in as a first-round pick and will likely be selected around the midway point of the first round of your rookie drafts. In two-QB leagues, he might come off the board closer to the turn. He’s one of the five best Dynasty assets.
Scouting report
Strengths
They say separation is king at the NFL level and I’m with that — I can also say for certain that it’s the king trait in Addison’s game.
Addison’s fluidity as a route runner allows him to waste little to no space on the field as he transitions from going vertical to breaking inside, breaking outside, or breaking back toward the line of scrimmage to present an open target for the quarterback.
Addison has run the full route tree playing in multiple offensive systems and continued to look explosive and fluid running routes at all three levels of the field — short, intermediate and vertical.
As technically sound as it gets from a route running standpoint relative to the rest of this draft class.
Footwork is excellent for Addison. He explodes off the line of scrimmage but can also maximize angles and space when getting out of his breaks to keep cornerbacks on their toes and often off balance.
Addison uses his upper body to sell his routes really well with shakes to keep cornerbacks off guard.
Addison will immediately be a mismatch at the NFL level on whip routes, blaze outs, out-and-up routes AND even on routes that break back to the line of scrimmage thanks to his elite level hip fluidity and ankle flexion.
Spatial awareness is excellent with Addison — all of the traits we listed above as strengths are what makes him a great receiver when it comes to beating man coverage, but his spatial awareness is what makes him a weapon against zone coverage.
Can be a factor on special teams and has experience returning kicks.
Not the fastest straight-line runner but uses his route running and maximizes space to create separation on vertical routes in addition to the in and out breakers.
Fantasy Football Today Newsletter Know What Your Friends Don’t Get tips, advice and news to win your league – all from the FFT podcast team. I agree to receive the “Fantasy Football Today Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy See All Newsletters Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription.
Concerns
Size and frame are the key concerns for Addison. He is only 173 pounds and that could become an issue for him at the NFL level when it comes to taking hits over the middle and creating yards after the catch (and more specifically after contact).
Catch radius at the NFL level is an issue. Addison has a short wingspan and doesn’t provide a big window for quarterbacks to fit the ball.
Physicality is not a big part of Addison’s game and you’ll sometimes see him get pressed to the sideline against man coverage. He needs to improve on using his hands to create subtle separation against press man on the vertical routes.
Hands could be an issue. Although Addison dropped just two passes in 2022 with USC, he had 21 dropped passes in his two seasons at Pitt from 2020-2021. Addison also has small hands relative to wide receivers at the NFL level and this could be part of the issue.
Sometimes Addison lets the ball come into his body — more often than you’d like — instead of plucking it out of the air.
While I believe Addison can play outside as well, his best fit at the NFL level is really in the slot given his size/frame/lack of physicality in his game.
Stats
G Rec ReYds Avg TD 2022 11 59 875 14.8 8 Career 35 219 3134 14.3 29
Other stats to know
Addison racked up 2.78 yards per route run (per PFF) in his 2022 season at USC.
Addison led the team in receiving yards and receptions in each of his last two seasons despite playing on different teams with different quarterbacks. Targets are earned.
NFL comparison
The NFL comparison I like best for Addison is a smaller and less explosive version of Calvin Ridley. That’s a good thing! Ridley evolved into one of the most dominant snap for snap receivers in the NFL with Atlanta despite testing poorly at the combine. Addison’s smoothness in and out of his breaks and his ability to maximize space with his feet to create separation are very Ridley-esque.