Frederick football history: Vikings take Jordan Addison with 23rd pick; Saints select Bryan Bresee at No. 29

Apr. 28—Jordan Addison and Bryan Bresee saw their lifelong dreams come to fruition late Thursday night.

Addison, a wide receiver and Tuscarora High graduate was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd overall pick in the NFL draft just before 11 p.m.

A little more than a half hour later, Bresee, a defensive tackle and Urbana native, was taken with the 29th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.

They join former Frederick High star Chuck Foreman as the only first-round picks from Frederick County to be drafted into the NFL.

Foreman, a five-time Pro Bowler as a pass-catching back, was also selected by the Vikings. He was the 12th overall selection in the 1973 draft.

"I guess we got another Fredericktonian," Foreman texted the News-Post, referring to the Vikings, after Addison was selected at 10:55 p.m.

Wearing a pink suit and white-framed sunglasses with an inscription on each side, Addison rose from his seat in the draft's green room, where he was one of 17 prospects invited to attend by the NFL, and embraced his family and friends.

He then strode across the massive stage in Kansas City, Missouri, to shake hands with Commissioner Roger Goodell.

After being drafted, Addison did a brief interview on NFL Network, where he declared, "I am so excited. Let's get to work." An attempt to reach him following his selection by the News-Post was unsuccessful.

He also did a video conference call from the draft with reporters from Minnesota, and he mentioned the pre-draft meeting he had with the Vikings earlier this month.

"Before I left on that visit, they told me if I fall to them, they were going to make sure they grabbed me," Addison said.

After productive stints at Tuscarora and the universities of Pittsburgh and Southern California, the 5-foot-11, 173-pound Addison figures to step in as the Vikings' No. 2 receiver behind star Justin Jefferson.

His size is one of the drawbacks of his profile, but he's a polished route-runner who consistently gets open despite not having elite speed. He ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. So how does he compensate for the smaller frame?

"Make plays, catch the ball, score touchdowns," Addison said.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Bresee, a star defensive tackle at Damascus High School and Clemson, was briefly shown on television embracing family and friends at his parents' Urbana home.

His entry into the NFL marks a personal high point after an incredibly difficult two-year stretch, during which he tore his ACL, costing him most of his sophomore season at Clemson, and lost his younger sister, Ella, to brain cancer.

He began his high school career at Urbana. After one season, he transferred to Damascus, where he became an absolute force on the interior of the Swarmin' Hornets defensive line and the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation.

He helped Damascus win a pair of state titles and was named the Maryland Player of the Year in 2018.

After a dominant freshman season at Clemson, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020.

An attempt to reach Bresee following his selection was unsuccessful.

Addison was an intriguing draft prospect because of his crisp route-running, reliable hands and nose for the end zone.

In three seasons of college football, he caught 29 touchdown passes from a pair of quarterbacks that either won the Heisman Trophy (USC's Caleb Williams last season) or were a finalist for the award (Pitt's Kenny Pickett in 2021).

Addison won the Biletnikoff Award at Pitt as the nation's top receiver in 2021 after setting a school record with 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and a nation's best 17 touchdowns.

His selection at No. 23 capped a run of four consecutive receivers that were taken, which is the first time that has happened in the modern era.

Since the selection of Foreman in '73, Addison and Bresee are the fifth and sixth Frederick County natives to be drafted into the NFL.

Linganore's Rob Havenstein was selected in the second round (No. 57 overall) by the Los Angeles Rams in 2015, Middletown's Rick Leonard was taken in the fourth round (No. 127) by the Saints in 2018, Walkersville's Tony Fiammetta was a fourth-round pick (No. 128) by the Carolina Panthers in 2009 and Frederick's Nate Hairston was taken in the fifth round (No. 158) by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.

Havenstein, who has played in two Super Bowls and won one as the starting right tackle for the Rams, Hairston, a defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, and Leonard, an offensive tackle and unrestricted free agent, are still playing or seeking to play in the league.

Associated Press reporter Dave Campbell contributed to this report from Minnesota.

Follow Greg Swatek on Twitter: @greg_swatek