Shortcomings in the draft have lingered over Kwesi Adofo-Mensah since he took the Minnesota Vikings general manager job in 2022. His first draft pick came after trading down from pick No. 12 to No. 32, selecting safety Lewis Cine. The Vikings only got ten defensive snaps from Cine over two seasons before releasing him before the 2024 season.
The 2023 draft produced Jordan Addison but not much else. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon had a solid rookie season but tore his ACL last year on the first day of training camp. He could battle for a starting role in 2025, but we must see how he recovers from his injury.
Those two drafts lead to some concern about the Vikings’ 2024 rookies. J.J. McCarthy is being counted on to be the team’s franchise quarterback, but he missed the season with a torn meniscus. Dallas Turner had 3.5 sacks but was behind Pro Bowl EDGE defenders Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard.
This hurt the Vikings in a recent article released by Gennaro Filice of NFL.com, which ranked all 32 draft classes from last year. Despite having two first-round picks, the Vikings finished 31st in the rankings.
Yet another reason why Kevin O’Connell won Coach of the Year: He guided the Vikings to 14 wins despite receiving minimal returns from the rookie class. Minnesota’s two first-round picks were beset by injury (QB J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in the preseason opener) and inefficacy. . .Sixth-round kicker Will Reichard easily provided the most significant contributions, but a quadricep strain abruptly upended his red-hot start and sent him to the sideline for four games. Down the stretch, he wasn’t as reliable.
The draft class will get a pass for the 2024 season due to veterans stepping up and playing well. But the Vikings will need a lot more from these players in their second year if they want to return to the playoffs in 2025 and beyond.