We may only be two months removed from the 2022 NFL draft, but draft experts are already looking ahead to 2023.
In a 2023 mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller, the Tennessee Titans picked at No. 14 overall and selected USC wide receiver Jordan Addison in that spot. Here’s Miller’s thoughts on the pick:
Another receiver for Tennessee? The Titans traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles in April and used the first-round pick they got in return on Treylon Burks, but Burks struggled in offseason practices. He could still star as a rookie, but this team must keep improving its pass-catchers around quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The versatile Addison, who won the Biletnikoff Award at Pitt last season, transferred to USC, where he should become young signal-caller Caleb Williams’ go-to weapon in Lincoln Riley’s explosive offense.
Side note: if the Titans pick at No. 14 overall, it would mean they didn’t make the playoffs. As Caleb Farley would say: “I rebuke that in the name of Jesus.”
For more information on the 6-foot, 175-pound wideout, who transferred from Pittsburgh to USC this year, we turn to The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs:
Pros: The biggest thing that popped in initial studies of Jordan Addison is just how dynamic his play is before he gathers the football. There’s a very strong sense of altering pace and attacking coverages with timing, allowing coverages to unfold before accelerating into his break and creating optimal separation. Addison enjoyed a productive freshman season in 2020, but his offensive explosion in 2021 showcased constant separation both down the field and across the middle—he’s a quarterback’s dream in this regard. One would only assume that transplanting him into Lincoln Riley’s system is going to level him up again. Addison has plucky hands and caught several hot throws away from his frame with ease; snatching the ball cleanly away from the body and tucking it to transition into run after catch. The RAC component of Addison’s game is another winning ingredient. Pittsburgh’s offense charged him with plenty of RPO bubbles and quick throws and allowed him to manufacture false steps, poor tackle challenges, and extra yards with the ball in his hands. Addison is highly twitchy and shows very good creativity with the ball in his hands to manufacture added offense. The Panthers charged him with attacking all three levels and USC’s version of him should be no different. Thanks to his adjusted pace tempo, ball skills, run after catch ability, and savvy route-running, Addison’s 2021 figures to serve as a launch point for his game and not just the high-water mark.
Cons: Stature and physicality are not areas of Jordan Addison’s game that will serve as hallmarks. I don’t believe Addison will need to serve exclusively in the slot at the next level, as his agility and route-running will allow him to separate on the perimeter. But he’s not going to overwhelm corners with strength and asking him to consistently win real estate at the catch point in contested situations or high-point throws feels like a misuse of his talents. I don’t foresee limitations on back-shoulder throws and timing targets, however. In the same spirit, I wouldn’t often put him to the run strength and ask him to crack down in the box on run plays, either. Instead, his run contributions should be attacking secondary players at depth and closing down on them to create voids and creases on the edge.
Despite drafting a pair of wide receivers in 2022, it’s very possible the Titans could be in the market to draft another in 2023. How much they prioritize the position remains to be seen, though.
That will depend upon what other needs pop up after this coming season, and what kind of strides both Kyle Philips and Treylon Burks make in their rookie campaigns.
Robert Woods’ performance will also factor into the equation. The veteran, who has no guaranteed money beyond 2022, will be a cut candidate in 2023 if he doesn’t answer the bell in his first season in Nashville.