More Reports Suggest the Vikings Won Their Trade with the Lions in the 2022 Draft
Josh Frey
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Right away in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s general managing career, the Vikings GM raised some eyebrows with his trades.
Many will remember that during the first round of the 2022 Draft, the Vikings opted to trade the 12th overall pick (Jameson Williams) and the 46th overall pick (Zach Pascal) to the Detroit Lions. In exchange, Minnesota grabbed Nos. 32, 34, and 66.
It was a surprising move for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Vikings traded within their division, something that is rarely done in the NFL. It was also a trade done despite the fact that star safety Kyle Hamilton remained on the board. However, the recent reports out of Lions camp have suggested that the Vikings won the exchange.
Of course, Detroit landed WR Jameson Williams with that 12th overall pick, adding him to a wide receiver room that also contained Amon-Ra St. Brown. Meanwhile, Minnesota snagged S Lewis Cine with No. 32, traded No. 34 to the Packers (Christian Watson), and took LB Brian Asamoah with No. 66.
Williams, coming off an ACL surgery during the offseason, was essentially a non-factor for Detroit during his rookie season. He caught just one pass during the season which, of course, was a 41-yard touchdown reception against the Vikings.
Lions fans have been hoping that 2023 will be Williams’ breakout season in the NFL, but bumps along the way have put a damper on those hopes.
First and foremost, the wide receiver was suspended for the first six games of the regular season for his involvement in violating the league’s gambling policy. This means he will be on the sideline for at least 17 of his first 23 NFL games.
On top of that, things have not seemed to go well when Williams steps on the field, either. He suffered a minor injury right at the beginning of camp, and while that is no longer an issue, his on-field performances haven’t been inspiring.
On Monday, a report came out that his practices have not been going well. Arye Pulli tweeted a list of happenings from Lions practice involving the second-year receiver:
- Dropped two passes
- Struggled in 1 on 1’s
- Threw a punch at rookie CB Sterling Thomas after he forced an imcompletion and started talking to Williams
Overall, these are not great signs for a player who was hailed as a great receiver coming out of the draft. On the flipside, the Vikings haven’t seen much production out of players who came as a direct result of that trade (Lewis Cine, Brian Asamoah). That being said, Asamoah is in the midst of a battle for the starting linebacker spot this season, and Cine seems to be progressing nicely from his leg fracture.
Additionally, we have to take into account that Minnesota traded that 34th overall pick and landed Ed Ingram, who started 17 games in his rookie season. In the end, it takes multiple years to fully evaluate how a draft class shakes out, but all things are trending towards the Vikings when we discuss this trade with the Lions.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.