The Minnesota Vikings’ determination to pick huge receiver Jordan Addison with the No. 23 decide within the 2023 NFL Draft was noteworthy for a number of causes. Not solely did the Vikings have already got a celebrity wideout in Justin Jefferson, but it surely pointed to an apparent dedication to airing it out offensively.
And whereas spending a first-round decide at a place the place a group at the moment has a star can absolutely result in combined emotions, Addison just lately stated it was the alternative when he arrived and commenced working with Jefferson. Throughout an interview with Metro Sport, Addison heaped reward on his teammate, calling the 25-year-old a “humble celebrity.”
“A very humble celebrity. Simply coming in and simply serving to me,” Addison stated. “[Jefferson] was a high receiver they usually drafted one other first-round receiver, so not lots of people would take that nicely, however I really feel like he did a great job of teaching me up and ensuring I used to be ready.”
Addison stepped up in a giant method throughout the 2023 NFL season, catching 70-of-108 targets that got here his method for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Nonetheless, his manufacturing was magnified as a rookie much more than regular, as Jefferson performed in simply 10 regular-season video games resulting from damage.
Whereas Jefferson nonetheless totaled 68 catches for 1,074 yards and 5 scores, Addison was thrust into the highlight because the group’s high receiver in his teammate’s absence and helped the Vikings’ passing sport proceed to provide at a excessive stage even with one of many league’s most dominant pass-catchers lacking time.