After going 13-4 last season, only to lose in the wild card round to the New York Giants, the Minnesota Vikings will look different on offense this fall.
Gone are four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook and No. 2 wide receiver Adam Thielen, and the team will have to find viable replacements for both.
Fortunately, the Vikings may have a replacement for Thielen in rookie Jordan Addison, the 23rd pick in April’s draft.
He feels like he’s in the ideal position to move forward, especially since he’ll be playing alongside Justin Jefferson, who may be the best receiver in the game right now.
He said it in a quote shared by the NFL on Twitter.
.@espn_jordan and @jjettas2 are about to be a dominant duo for the @Vikings offense. pic.twitter.com/1jAWoNUg5b
—NFL (@NFL) June 27, 2023
Addison had 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2021 for the University of Pittsburgh, and after transferring to the University of Southern California, he had 875 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
He was considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft, and scouts highly appreciate his ability to run routes and catch in big situations.
If the Vikings want to make the playoffs again this winter, Addison is going to have to shine quite a bit in his rookie season.
Plus, Jefferson may have to go even more nuclear: He led the NFL in 2022 with 1,809 receiving yards, and some feel he’s poised to become the first player to reach the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.
But perhaps the biggest thing Minnesota needs to improve is their defense, as they ranked 28th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed last season.
NEXT:
Vikings RB reveals what Dalvin Cook has meant to his career
