No, the Vikings did not get their heir apparent to franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins. Not yet at least.

That said, the Vikings landed a player on Thursday night who can impact winning in the present, selecting USC receiver Jordan Addison with the No. 23 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is someone the Vikings can pair with superstar receiver Justin Jefferson for the foreseeable future.

“Somebody we targeted very early in the process,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re excited to add him and really excited to see him tomorrow.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound Addison was the leading receiver for the Trojans in 2022, finishing with 59 catches for 875 yards and eight touchdowns. He transferred from Pittsburgh where he started his collegiate career and won the Biletnikoff Award in 2021 as the nation’s top receiver.

“They told me if I fall to them they’re going to make sure they come and grab me,” Addison said. “Once I seen that they was on the clock I was just checking my phone.”

Asked how he planning to to celebrate the accomplishment of a lifelong dream, Addison noted that his family was with him at the Kansas City.

“They all back at the hotel right now waiting on me,” Addison said. “It’s finna get turnt.”

The selection of Addison by the Vikings capped a historic run on receivers that also featured the Seattle Seahawks taking Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the No. 20 pick, the Los Angeles Chargers taking TCU receiver Quentin Johnston with the No. 21 pick, and the Baltimore Ravens taking Boston College receiver Zay Flowers with the No. 22 pick.

The first round couldn’t have worked out much better for the Vikings considering where they were picking.

After trading up last month, the Carolina Panthers finally got their guy, drafting Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick. Then the Houston Texans, despite mulling their options with the No. 2 pick, stayed up and took Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The assumption was that Young and Stroud would be off the board long before the Vikings were on the clock. That’s something general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell likely expected.

There were some prognosticators, however, who thought Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson would slide far enough for the Vikings to potentially trade up and get him. That dream died quickly when the Indianapolis Colts nabbed Richardson with the No. 4 pick.

Though the Vikings didn’t get Young, Stroud, or Richard, they had an opportunity to take either Kentucky quarterback Will Levis or Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.

They passed on both in favor of Addison. It’s the first time the Vikings have selected a receiver in the first round since they took Jefferson with the No. 22 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

It’s not hard to envision O’Connell using Addison as a chess piece on offense.

It’s no secret that Jefferson has seen an uptick in double teams as he’s emerged as arguably the best receiver in the league. Now if opposing teams want to sell out to stymie Jefferson they have to live with letting Addison run in single coverage.

“Oh man,” Addison said when asked about working alongside Jefferson. “That’s going to be great. That’s going to be special learning from a great receiver like him. Just adding some of his tools into mine and becoming better every day.”

The decision to draft Addison also makes sense after longtime Vikings receiver Adam Thielen signed with the Panthers earlier this offseason. Other notable pass catchers on the current roster include receiver K.J. Osborn and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions started the night with the No. 6 pick before trading back with the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for the No. 12 pick and the No. 34 pick. They went on to take Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 pick and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the No. 18 pick.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears drafted Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright with the No. 10 pick and the Green Bay Packers drafted Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness with the No. 13 pick.

Regardless of what the rest of the NFC North did, the Vikings can rest easy knowing they got their guy.

“I’m just ready to get to work,” Addison said. “This is just the start.”