Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison had a statistically stellar rookie season last season. Addison finished the season with just over 900 yards on 70 receptions and was one of the top touchdown scorers in the league with ten touchdown receptions.
While the production was good, there were several games where Addison was a non-factor, showing some space for development in his game. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Addison feels like he’s worked on his game and taken it “to the next level” this summer in minicamps. According to head coach Kevin O’Connell, some of that “next level” comes from Addison getting physically stronger:
“Jordan Addison had as good of an offseason program as really you can ask for,” “[He is] a guy that had a ton of success in Year 1. And really, from a standpoint of getting a little stronger, getting a little bit more comfortable playing through contact and still playing with that great burst and transition that he has, you saw some real growth there [this spring].”
As for Addison himself, he chalks up a lot of his development this offseason to wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell helping him expand and refine his technique, particularly concerning his releases at the line of scrimmage:
“Last year I wasn’t as confident in my releases” … “I wasn’t being decisive. I didn’t have a plan when I was coming up to the line. I was just freelancing trying to make something work.”
With the prospect of tight end T.J. Hockenson missing the first six weeks of the season as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered late last season against the Detroit Lions, Addison figures to be a significant part of the Vikings offense. If he truly has taken the next step in his development, he could blossom into one of the league’s premier WR2s.
