On Thursday night, the Minnesota Vikings added a new weapon to their offense by drafting USC wide receiver Jordan Addison. As the pick was being made, quarterback Kirk Cousins was also in the spotlight, appearing on Bleacher Report’s draft coverage.
When asked about the Vikings’ selection of Addison, Cousins shared his thoughts on what this addition could mean for their team’s success in the upcoming season.
I think that he is a natural wide receiver. I’ve played with some guys throughout the years who were great athletes; they could run well, they could jump well, but playing the position of wide receiver just didn’t come naturally to them. And you’ll always want that natural receiver over a great athlete – not to say he isn’t a great athlete. But a guy who can attack the football with great hands, adjust to the ball well, run great routes, that’s pretty exciting. To be able to get that kind of polish right away when he shows up for OTAs is a great advantage.
We targeted Justin a lot last year, and for good reason: He’s one of the elite receivers in football. But this should help take some pressure off of him, along with K.J. Osborn and T.J. Hockenson. The more that we can divert coverage away from Justin, that’s only going to help Jets with his ability to wreck the game.
Cousins appears thrilled with the opportunity to combine Addison with the rest of the Vikings’ arsenal. With the departure of Adam Thielen during the offseason it made wide receiver the top need heading into the draft. The team made certain that it was addressed, giving Cousins an abundance of weapons to pass to this upcoming season. The addition of Addison only adds to the team’s offensive firepower, and Cousins seems eager to take advantage of it.