2023 NFL Draft: Jordan Addison - USC Wide Receiver

Jordan Addison – USC

Strengths:

1. Smooth Running - His natural feel for the position allows him to seamlessly glide to where he needs to be. He does not do the same stutters or false moves on every play like most receivers. He just feels out what is best for each situation and reacts accordingly.

2. Route Tree - His effective route tree is the same his theoretical route tree. He knows what to do on essentially every route to maximize separation, and can even run complex routes with ease. From double moves downfield to working underneath, Addison finds himself pulling away from defenders in most situations.

3. Separation - Addison separates reliably on all levels of the field verses any type of coverage.

Weaknesses:

1. Contested Catches - With an abysmal 22.2% contested catch, Addison does not win jump balls down the field. He has strong hands in traffic, but that is the extent of his contested catch ability.

2. RAC - He only has six missed tackles forced on the season. Aside from a couple of highlight reel plays where he spins away and runs for a touchdown, he does not reliably maneuver his way downfield through would-be tacklers.

3. Physicality - Addison is a small guy comparatively speaking. He is not the dominant type of wide receiver teams love having as their X, which may cause Addison to drop a bit in the draft.

Grade: Mid First

Addison is an extremely smooth route runner who knows how to gain separation on every level. His lack of size and physicality is why he is not graded as a top 10 pick.

Pro Comparison: Jahan Dotson

Their playstyles are incredibly similar, and they are roughly similar caliber prospects coming out as well. Addison is the more refined route runner and considered by many to be the better prospect, but going around pick 16 in the draft like Dotson would not be surprising.

Film Notes:

UCLA (11/19/2022): 11-178-1

Interesting release. Looks quick despite unnecessary steps. Slight drop step, but springy off the line. Slick runner. Not abrupt, but smooth double move up sideline. Looks natural running routes. Little contact balance. Good hands in traffic. Clean three step turn, but pivot could be quicker. Nice downfield ball tracking. Good speed down the sideline. Decent stiff arm to get the turn. Smooth route runner with excellent burst and pivots. Finds a way to get separation at any level of the field. Not as shifty in the open field as expected.

Utah (12/02/2022): 5-65-0

Stops on a dime down the sideline. Excellent acceleration. Smooth route runner short distances. Contact mid route decreased typical separation. Immediate burst to full speed out of stutters. Can make any catch away from his body. Has no distinct route moves; he just operates by feel. Quick feet. Great off of the line laterally and linearly. Gets knocked over easily on route across middle. Not a technical runner, but it works for him. Good block attempt, despite poor hand placement. Plays the slot and out wide with extensive effective route trees. Good cut when running after the catch, but still brought down easily. Beautifully rotates defender's hips.

Oregon State (09/24/2022): 3-42-1

Locked up corner on block after getting inside. Pivots instantaneously. Got open in the flat with clean footwork. Good burst out of stutter. Does not always separate early against tight press. Occasional slow release. Pushed back significantly at line, slowing down deep route. Dropped a low ball, which was a very difficult catch. Longer pivot step, which has been seen consistently throughout his tape at the line on quick comebacks and screens. Tripped up easily from behind.

Attributes (Grade/10):

Separation	Short	8
	Medium	9.5
	Deep	8.5

Short: He is very hit or miss on short routes, but usually hit. Addison knows how to work the field and create space in most situations. The issue is that if his man is tight to his hip starting at the line, then he struggles to pull away from guys willing to do a little extra curricular grabbing throughout the route. His stop and go ability is incredible, his feel for where to be is nearly unmatched, and he has a plethora of moves in his wheelhouse to gain separation. If he weighed another 20-30lbs, then this may be a 10/10.

Medium: Addison knows where to be, and can stop on an absolute dime. He can typically stop in one step regardless of his speed, and accelerate again on the very next step. He understands how to maximize separation if he has half a yard on his opponent. With his natural route running style, he is the most well-rounded separator in this class.

Deep: Once he is deep, he knows how to play the defender to maximize separation. He has incredible instincts on where to be and how to rotate the defender's hips. He has excellent speed, and can pull away once he has the slightest bit of separation. With great deep ball tracking abilities, he is an elite downfield threat. The one two issues that arise stem from his size. He is not good at contested catches, so if the target is not right on him, especially if it is underthrown, then he typically cannot go up and make a play over his opponent. This will be even more of an issue at the NFL level with higher caliber defensive backs. He also has gets harassed at the LOS against tight press. His go routes can be slowed significantly if he is pushed back at the top of the route. He will likely run a lot of double moves from the slot, which, with his incredible mid-route acceleration and overall downfield abilities, should be very effective in the NFL.

Release	Stance	6
	Acceleration	9.5
	Hip Control	8

Stance: Slightly too upright, frequently causing the need to bend his knees before coming off of the line and slowing down his release. He is occasionally the last receiver off of the line after the ball is snapped, despite his first steps being explosive. Addressing this habit should improve his ability to create separation against press by giving him an extra step that he otherwise would not have taken on any given route.

Acceleration: His linear acceleration is elite. He can hit nearly full stride after the first two steps. His lateral acceleration could improve, but that stems from his lack of of using levels effectively. He has the ability, as seen plenty throughout his tape, hence the elite grade of 9.5/10.

Hip Control: He has incredible control, but does not use levels to assist in open field running after the catch. He has the tendency to remain upright despite natural fluidity in his motions. If he had a bit more hip control at the line and improved his stance, which he should be able to accomplish, then his release would be more explosive.

Hands	Catch Reliability	9
	Catch Radius	7
	Contested Catch	3

Catch Reliability: 3.3% drop rate, with only 2 drops on the season. He reliably hauls in most uncontested passes thrown his way.

Catch Radius: Not a plethora of impressive catches throughout his tape, but he can reliably haul in passes away from his body. He has great downfield ball tracking and can extend to make the catch when no one is around him.

Contested Catch: He can hold onto the ball in traffic, but will not win any jump balls with a contested catch rate of 22.2% on the season.

RAC	Athleticism	8
	Agility	5.5
	Contact Balance	2

Athleticism: Size and strength lower this score, but anyone watching his tape can tell that he is a smooth athlete at the position.

Agility: He can be elusive due to his speed and stop-start ability, but he does not frequently display it after the catch. This grade could skyrocket upon entering the NFL, but it does not elicit a high grade based on what he showed on tape in the open field.

Contact Balance: He gets tripped up easily and goes down to arm tackles. The is not a 1/10 only because of a couple select plays throughout the season.

Blocking	Technique	8.5
	Willingness	10

Technique: He was clearly taught how to block, as he seems to over exaggerate certain coachable areas, such as stance, lean, and hand placement. He does not always get it right, but his blocking technique is great for his size.

Willingness: Never avoids contact on a block. He excitedly runs after his guy trying to do as much as he can to help on any given play. That said, he is a smaller guy, so his effectiveness blocking inline will likely not be too great.

Coverage	Press	7
	Off	10

Press: While he can certainly pull away from press, he tends to struggle at the line and through the first few steps when against a physical corner.

Off: If he is given room to work, he will find himself in open space regardless of whether he is facing man or zone coverage.

Full Report:

Jordan Addison can separate at any level of the field. He has natural instinct on how to maximize space between him and all defenders regardless of coverage type. He has the speed to be a downfield threat, and the quickness to be effective underneath. With excellent ball skills and explosiveness, he is a lock to go in the first round on the 2023 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, there are some glaring issues in his tape. He is undersized, lacks the ability to navigate tacklers after the catch in the open field, and is not strong at the catch point when contested. His size leaves him prone to getting pushed back at the line, which slows down his routes from the start. Addison's biggest issue other that size is that he does not drop his hips reliably. This very slightly slows down his line release, his 180 when he needs to accelerate back to the line, and even prevents him from making the low catch at times. For someone with his acceleration and natural feel for route running, he is oddly poor in the open field. Staying lower would allow him to navigate laterally in the open field, which he typically does not do aside from an occasional single cut. While he is one of the best route runners in class, if not the best, improving his stance and hip control would enhance every part of his game, from release efficiency, to route running, to RAC.

While he could be special at the next level, his size will likely hinder his draft stock. He is not the DeVonta Smith level of prospect where size can simply be disregarded and picked in the top 10. Addison may work primarily from the slot over his rookie season, but should earn a starting role outside relatively soon given his overall skill at the position. He has the hands, ability to separate at all levels, and speed to solidify himself as a first sure-fire first round draft pick. His lack of RAC ability and physicality may bump him down to the mid-first, but he will be a valuable starter day one entering the NFL.

NFL Projection:

Addison will likely be drafted towards the middle of the first round. He will play a hybrid inside/outside role, and put up moderate production year one. Many will be disappointed, but he will make a leap year two or three. He will never be the dominant X receiver, but a deep threat and reliable chain mover as a versatile second option on his team.