With attention naturally flowing toward others on the Minnesota Vikings roster, it's easy for some others who deserve attention to fly under the radar. Some might even like being under the radar, while others get the scrutiny and pressure that comes with being well-known.
In the Vikings' wide receiver room, Justin Jefferson is obviously the top dog and as one of the best receivers in the NFL it's a status he's worthy of. But that also means everyone operates in relative obscurity, even a fellow first-round pick.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently put together an "All-Underrated Team", with the simple qualification for eligibility being zero career Pro Bowls or All-Pro accolades.
So with that in mind, a Viking got acknowledged with a hypothetical status on Davenport's squad he doesn't have on his real-life team.
"If Jordan Addison played somewhere other than Minnesota, he might already have a higher profile than he does. After all, Justin Jefferson casts a long shadow.
However, Addison has been a solid young receiver in his own right. Despite averaging only 103.5 targets in his first two NFL seasons, the 5'11", 175-pounder posted at least 875 receiving yards in both of those campaigns. He has also been an absolute force in the red zone, reeling in 19 touchdowns to date.
Calling a recent first-round pick “underrated” might be stretching that term, but Addison might be the No. 1 wide receiver for a number of NFL teams.
Here, Addison gets his chance."
2025 is a huge season for Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison
Since being drafted in the first round by the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft, Addison has been very productive as the second-fiddle to Jefferson.
When Jefferson missed several games in 2023, Addison showed he could be a No. 1 receiver when called upon, and if Kirk Cousins hadn't been injured, he would have almost surely topped 1,000 yards to go with his 10 touchdowns as a rookie.
Addison's 19 receiving touchdowns over the last two seasons are tied for the fourth-most in the league over that span.
In each of his first two full offseasons as an NFL player, Addison has run into trouble off the field. In July of 2023, he was cited for speeding and reckless driving in St. Paul, Minnesota. In July of 2024, he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Los Angeles, California.
He seems sure to draw a suspension from the league to start this season, regardless of how the latter case plays out in court.
On the field, once he's eligible to play with the expectation of a three or four-game suspension to start the season, 2025 is a big season for Addison. He will be eligible for a contract extension after the season, with a fifth-year option that the Vikings will have a decision on.
If he performs like he has to this point, the fifth-year option will be a moot point, and if the off-field stuff becomes a thing of the past, a lucrative contract extension will follow rather easily.