Former Pitt and USC Jordan Addison didn’t steal the show at the 2023 NFL Combine. Across the board, his numbers weren’t terrible but were merely average at a position that’s gotten more and more athletic. After going through testing and most of the on-field workouts, Addison pulled out of the Combine late, citing a back injury. He said he’ll finish with the rest of his testing at his USC Pro Day.
Addison said similar to NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales but said he’ll be fine for his Pro Day later this month.
On the day, Addison ran an official 4.49 40. His jumps were worse, a 34 inch vertical and 10’2″ broad. Context for all workouts are key and Addison, who weighed in at 173 pounds, four pounds lighter than he was listed, was expected to test better than he did. His first run came in at 4.55 and to his credit, he bettered things his second chance.
According to Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score, a great way to contextualize workout numbers, Addison had just a 5.66 RAS mark. Not a number he was aiming for.
Addison is looking to be the first receiver off the board in late April’s draft. Primary competition comes in the form of TCU’s Quentin Johnston and Boston College’s Zay Flowers. Johnston measured in a touch smaller than expected, under 6’3 and 208 pounds but had great jumps (40.5 inches in the vert, 11’2″ in the broad), though he announced he won’t run his 40 today. Flowers didn’t hit the 4.3’s he hoped for, settling for a 4.42 we pegged him at in our pre-draft profile. As expected, Flowers looked quick changing directions and fluid in drills.
Of course, his numbers today are just one piece of a large puzzle. Tape still trumps all and Addison has plenty of good on it. If his back truly impacted him (sometimes it becomes a convenient excuse for those who don’t test great), he’ll have the chance to improve those numbers during his March 21st Pro Day. There’s still lots of reasons to like his game. He always profiled as a receiver who was more quick than fast with impressive burst, good hands and body control, with high-level production. None of that changes regardless of what he did or didn’t do in one workout.
But after today, a 173-pound receiver with average to below average testing doesn’t scream first round pick. Or at least, not the Steelers’ answer at #17. But perhaps that’s a good thing. Pittsburgh wasn’t likely to take a receiver in the first round. If Addison falls a bit, he’s a more realistic option at #32, reuniting him with Kenny Pickett and giving the Steelers’ offense a Day One slot receiver.
