With the arrival of the opening preseason game last night, fans were given their first look at Jordan Addison, and he measured up to expectations. Addison saw limited action, only being targeted three times in three drives. However, he made plays with those opportunities, with an incredible (and wrongly nullified) grab on the sideline, then coming back to snag an under-thrown ball for his first official catch.
In the nullified play, Addison flaunted his exemplary body control, extending his torso towards the catch point while keeping both feet pointed down and inbounds:
Addison’s ability to keep himself inbounds has been a noted phenomenon during camp. Despite being a smaller receiver, Addison has confidence at the catch point, an important trait that starting quarterback Kirk Cousins has spoken about needing in his receivers.
Addison pairs that confidence with the natural physical ability to contort his body to precisely what the situation requires, demonstrating the ability to lay out for the ball, twist back for an underthrown pass, and haul in difficult catches.
While it’s difficult to provide an elaborate examination in such limited action, Addison has shown quality traits already. The ability to create separation is critical for any wide receiver, and Addison got it handily against Seattle’s 2s. With several yards of space on his first preseason reception and with no defensive back able to contest his sideline snag, Addison was easily able to manipulate corners and create space for himself.
Addison demonstrated his ability to make contested catches frequently throughout his collegiate career, but he didn’t have many opportunities to show that skill yesterday. However, he demonstrated his ability to hang on to difficult passes and adjust to errant throws. Body control was his strong suit yesterday. Whether it was contorting himself to haul in an underthrown ball from Nick Mullens or laying out to control a pass down the sideline, he flashed an incredible level of body control and spatial awareness.
Kevin O’Connell frequently used Addison in 12-personnel. Newly signed tight end Josh Oliver helped to ever-so-slightly unveil O’Connell’s new offensive vision.
While it was a small sample size, Jordan Addison’s performance was impressive. He exhibited poise and performed very well, finishing with an 84.5 PFF grade in his first preseason start. Addison already appears to be well ahead of the curve. If he is able to acclimate as well to regular season speed as he has to preseason, the Vikings may have another star.
