The Vikings had an eventful three days of the draft by making several trades and eventually adding six players to the roster, but nothing was as challenging as keeping first-round pick Jordan Addison on the phone.
Vikings Entertainment Network released a behind-the-scenes look at the Vikings draft on Friday and we picked out the five most interesting things from the video.
1. Jordan Addison hung up on everybody
Some of the best videos from the draft usually involve the team making the call to their draft pick and getting to hear the instant reaction from the player. Unless you’re Jordan Addison.
A clearly embarrassed Addison watched video back of the experience from the Vikings’ point of view after they had selected him 23rd overall.
After GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finished talking with Addison, he handed the phone to head coach Kevin O’Connell, only Addison had already hung up.
While the Vikings were attempting to call Addison back, O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah had funny exchange before Addison answered.
“Can you not hang up on our draft picks before I get to talk to them,” asked O’Connell.
“I said Coach was on the line,” Adofo-Mensah replied.
O’Connell eventually got to talk to Addison but before he could hand the phone off to offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, the first-round pick hung up again. The cameras cut to a moment later in the night when wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell was finishing up talking to the young receiver but before another staffer could talk with him, Addison had hung up again.
“I hung up on everybody,” an embarrassed Addison remarked in the video.
2. Vikings planned on burning out the clock
Vikings fans will remember the waiting they had to do as the Vikings used every single second of their allotted 10 minutes during the first round. Well, that was planned.
“Just burn the shot clock out and see if anybody calls,” the cameras caught Adofo-Mensah telling O’Connell. Adofo-Mensah was later informed that he would need two minutes to complete the pick, so he had to put the Addison into action with two minutes left on the clock.
3. Vikings weren’t blown away by trade offer
“I just feel like we’re going to miss out. I actually don’t want to do that trade,” Adofo-Mensah told O’Connell in the build up to the Addison selection.
The Vikings clearly had a trade offer but felt like they would miss out on Addison if they went forward with the offer.
O’Connell is later seen talking to Adofo-Mensah and Senior VP of Player Personnel Ryan Grigson, saying, “We talked about this. Does it blow you away?” Adofo-Mensah quickly said “no” and O’Connell replied: “Well, then there’s your answer.”
4. Addison’s favorite WR is Calvin Ridley
Talking about why he wears the number three, Addison said it’s the same number his favorite wide receiver, Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons, wears.
Ridley wore No. 3 in his time at Alabama before being drafted by the Falcons.
Ridley, is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, is the receiver Addison often gets compared to because of their style of play.
"I got legitimate Calvin Ridley vibes when watching him."
On the latest Purple Insider Podcast @MatthewColler & @ChrisTrapasso grade every pick from the #Vikings.
A- https://t.co/yZ6Qxw3GPQ
S- https://t.co/7uvKz6vC2f
YT- https://t.co/lGMJZlPnt6 pic.twitter.com/5VmO4I4FLV— Purple Insider (@Purple_Insider) May 3, 2023
Ridley was drafted in 2018 to be the No. 2 receiver behind Julio Jones, who at the time was considered one of the best receivers in the NFL. Addison is expected to develop into the No. 2 in Minnesota behind Justin Jefferson, who may very well be the best receiver in the NFL.
5. Jaren Hall’s first stop at the combine was the Vikings interview room
Jaren Hall revealed the first place he stopped when he landed in Indianapolis for February’s NFL Combine was the Vikings interview room.
“That was the first team I actually interviewed with off the plane when I got to the combine building. Walked up the stairs to meet with them. So, that was kind of the intro to my combine experience,” Hall said.
O’Connell, a former quarterback himself, appeared pretty happy about the pick, standing up and clapping when the selection was official. Adofo-Mensah noticed O’Connell’s excitement, saying: “First stand and clap in a while.”
