Vikings 2023 Draft Class: The First-Rounder, Two Years Later
The 2025 NFL Draft may be over, but that doesn’t mean we have to drop the theme of what is many people’s favorite part of the NFL’s offseason calendar, and take a trip down memory lane in order to assess the work done by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his crew during the draft process.
Earlier, we took a look at the 2024 NFL Draft, with draftees such as J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner, and Will Reichard among others, and how they’ve fared in their very short amount of time in the big leagues. This time, we take a look at a class that has had a slightly longer time to marinate, that being the 2023 Vikings draft class, which was Adofo-Mensah’s second draft class as captain of the purple ship.
Round 1, Pick 23: WR Jordan Addison, USC
This wasn’t a hard decision to make for the Vikings, as the departure of Minnesota Folklore legend Adam Thielen, who agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers earlier in the 2023 offseason, left a gaping hole in the Vikings’ WR corps behind Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings needed to address it immediately and decided to do that by drafting out of USC with the 23rd selection instead of taking Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith, or going the controversial route by drafting Kentucky QB Will Levis.
Addison was the safe but correct pick, and he proved effective quite immediately. In his rookie season, Jordan Addison hauled in 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 TDs. He was instantly a legitimate option behind Justin Jefferson and along with T.J. Hockenson on the Vikings’ offense. His sophomore season might have been even better, considering he missed two games with an ankle injury and still produced 63 receptions for 875 yards and 9 TDs.
Vikings Navigate Addison’s Off-Field Issues
While his on-the-field play has been impressive, Addison has faced a multitude of off-the-field controversies. In July of 2023, before his rookie year even began, Addison was pulled over for going 140mph in a 55mph zone in Minneapolis, for which he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and had his license suspended for six months.
The next offseason, in July 2024, Addison was found asleep in the driver’s seat of a Rolls-Royce in Los Angeles at a stoplight while blocking an entire lane. The young WR was charged with two misdemeanor counts, one being driving under the influence, and one being driving with a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit. The legal process has not played out, but a suspension is possible, perhaps even likely.
Nonetheless, as long as the off-the-field issues are reigned in and brought to a stop altogether, Addison has been a key cog in Kevin O’Connell’s offensive machine and was absolutely the correct pick when the Vikings were on the clock in the first round in April of 2023.
Addison has had a knack for finding the endzone so far in his still-young NFL career, and is a lethal down-the-field route runner for a Vikings offense that is built on the foundation of giving the QB a long time in the pocket, leading to countless big-time shots down field from whatever signal caller is under center.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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