When thinking about the "building blocks" of an NFL roster, such as a team may have very many of them, the natural inclination is to move toward younger players. For the Minnesota Vikings, the list would be led by 26-year-old Justin Jefferson with some others (Brian O'Neill, Christian Darrisaw, J.J. McCarthy, Donovan Jackson, Dallas Turner, etc.) clearly following him as roster fixtures now and/or into the future.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently named the most promising building block for each NFL team.
For the Vikings he chose wide receiver....Jordan Addison.
"The Philadelphia Eagles have shown that it's possible to build an offense around two wide receivers, even with their dominant ground attack. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith eclipsed 1,065 receiving yards in 2022 and 2023. Minnesota Vikings wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison could post similar numbers together."
"Jefferson has established himself as a star receiver, winning the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year award and earning two All-Pro nods. Addison may not achieve those accolades, but he can stack 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons."
"Already one of the league's top No. 2 receivers, Addison has racked up 133 catches for 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns in 32 contests."
"In all three of his seasons as Vikings head coach and offensive play-caller, Kevin O’Connell has fielded a top-six passing attack, which bodes well for Addison’s production outlook in a complementary pass-catching role."
Jordan Addison's status as a Minnesota Vikings building block feels tenuous
Addison has proven to be the ideal Robin to Jefferson's Batman. His 19 touchdowns over the last two seasons are tied for fourth-most in the league over that span, and he has topped 60 catches with at least 875 yards in each of his two seasons.
That said, Addison went 2-for-2 running into trouble in his first two offseasons as an NFL player. In July of 2023 he was cited for speeding and reckless driving in St. Paul, Minnesota. Then last offseason he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Los Angeles. A trial related to the latter offense is scheduled to start on July 15.
A suspension from the league is presumed to be coming for Addison concerning the DUI case, with three games the expected duration.
As a first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 draft, the Vikings will have to decide on Addison's fifth-year option next spring. Beyond that, they'll have to weigh whether or not to give him a contract extension with a per-year average that will likely start in the $25-$30 million per year range if he continues to produce like he has. If he puts up better numbers over the next couple of seasons, the cost will go up.
Addison will very likely be in Purple and Gold for the next three seasons. Beyond that has to be considered a question mark right now. Naming him as the team's most promising building block then becomes a pretty tenuous proposition to make. But, maybe Addison leaves the notable off-field distractions behind now and firmly solidifies his place in the Vikings' future plans.