Kwesi Crushed It
Stepping away from the opening two days of the draft with one player who is 5’11”, 175 pounds and another who is 5’11”, 178 pounds is a bold move. A few months into the season, though, and things are looking pretty good for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The young GM picked receiver Jordan Addison (23rd overall) and corner Mekhi Blackmon (102nd overall) with those initial selections. Both have proven to be instrumental to the success Minnesota has been able to achieve in 2023. The impressive thing is that the contributions don’t stop with just the top pair of picks.
The Vikings are getting some depth reps from several others from the same draft class. Safety Jay Ward has been a stalwart on special teams, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy is getting worked into the DL rotation, and quarterback Jaren Hall is now the primary backup. While he hasn’t gotten off the practice squad, running back DeWayne McBride is sticking around waiting for his chance.
Add it all together and the general manager appears to have done some really nice work.
Kwesi Crushed the 2023 NFL Draft
Given how things went in 2022, Adofo-Mensah is likely thrilled that his second draft class is performing well.
Lewis Cine has mostly flopped, failing to get even a single snap for the Brian Flores defense. Meanwhile, Andrew Booth is once again in a backup role, very seldom getting work with the defense. Brian Asamoah has become an afterthought at linebacker.
Someone like Akayleb Evans stands out as a success and Ed Ingram has taken steps forward. Plus, Ty Chandler is showing plenty of promise. Even still, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would likely do things a bit differently if he could go back in time.
The 2023 draft class doesn’t offer the same hesitation.
Addison may be small, but he’s among the more elusive playmakers in the NFL. Quite often, the conversation around touchdown merchants focuses on players who can outmuscle their defender. Addison isn’t that guy, instead finding success by being ultra shifty. The 21-year-old receiver is up to 9 TDs (which is to say nothing of his 824 yards).
The current vantage point suggests that opting for Addison was a slam dunk, but don’t forget that Kwesi made a controversial decision by snagging the receiver. Corner was looking like a major need and there were a pair of highly-regarded options available. The GM instead stuck with the plan by drafting Addison, a decision that’s aging well.
Meanwhile, Blackmon is doing some excellent work as the CB3. Brian Flores commonly relies on the rookie when an extra corner is needed. So far, that has meant picking up 359 snaps for the defense, resulting in 32 tackles, 7 passes defended, and 1 interception. QBs are completing 61.5% of passes into his coverage and have a modest 84.8 passer rating when going after him.
And, of course, one thinks or arguably the most impressive rookie: Ivan Pace Jr. The caveat is simply that he wasn’t a draft pick. Every single GM had multiple chances to draft him and chose not to do so (Kwesi included).
Where the Vikings deserve credit is in their decision to prioritize him as an UDFA. Minnesota tossed over a 3-year, $2,715,000 contract with $236,000 in guaranteed money to secure his services. At the end of the December, that aggressive move looks like a stroke of genius.
Pace is now the starting middle linebacker due to Jordan Hicks being injured. One wonders if Pace will ever give the starting job back. Yes, there have been late-game struggles, but the defense has mostly been thriving.
Another pair of UDFAs — NaJee Thompson and Andre Carter — have secured roster spots as crucial special teams players. Thompson, in particular, has been a nice add. He’s a menace as a gunner. Guaranteed: the special teams coordinators for Minnesota’s opponents have been worried about how they’re going to corral the long and strong Thompson.
The conventional wisdom suggests that there needs to be somewhere around three years before judging a draft class. Even when the assessment looks positive, that wisdom applies, so we shouldn’t get carried away. The early play from guys like Jordan Addison, Mekhi Blackmon, Ivan Pace, and several others, though, suggest that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah crushed his second draft.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
The Vikings Issue a Warning
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.