Every One of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Draft Picks
Admittedly, listing out all of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s draft picks is the least impressive entry in the site’s recently-launched Section 121. After all, the curious reader could simply hop over to a spot like Pro Football Reference or the team’s website to acquire the basic facts.
Stick with us on this one.
Previously, we’ve published The Complete Kwesi Trade Tracker, The Roster Tug of War Between Rick Spielman and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and The Vikings’ Draft Pick War Chest. The further we venture into the offseason, the more we’ll be building up the archive of knowledge. There are a few pieces in the works, with the draft picks being (obviously) the latest addition.
The point, folks, is to continue building the knowledge base that resides in Section 121. Our goal is to offer a comprehensive, far-reaching set of articles that provide helpful information, facts, and details about the recent history of the Vikings (as always, I’ll acknowledge my human frailties and humbly ask for correction if an error is spotted – @VikingsGazette).
And, of course, putting the draft picks into a piece like this one provides us with the chance to glean some insights while looking for patterns. After listing out the players, draft status, position, and college info, I take a few moments to make note of some trends and tendencies.
As he gets further into his career as a GM, Adofo-Mensah will continue to expose his own habits and preferences, patterns and tendencies. In the meantime, we’ll make do with what we have since we already have enough information to start making some tentative conclusions.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Drafts Picks
The Vikings’ 2022 NFL Draft
| Player | Round & Number | Position | College | Conference |
| Cine, Lewis | 1st RD – 32nd | Safety | Georgia | SEC |
| Booth Jr., Andrew | 2nd RD – 42nd | Corner | Clemson | ACC |
| Ingram, Ed | 2nd RD – 59th | Guard | LSU | SEC |
| Asamoah, Brian | 3rd RD – 66th | Linebacker | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
| Evans, Akayleb | 4th RD – 118th | Corner | Missouri | SEC |
| Otomewo, Esezi | 5th RD – 165th | Defensive End | Minnesota | Big 10 |
| Chandler, Ty | 5th RD – 169th | Running Back | North Carolina | ACC |
| Lowe, Vederian | 6th RD – 184th | Offensive Tackle | Illinois | Big 10 |
| Nailor, Jalen | 6th RD – 191st | Wide Receiver | Michigan St. | Big 10 |
| Muse, Nick | 7th RD – 227th | Tight End | South Carolina | SEC |
The Vikings’ 2023 NFL Draft
| Player | Round & Number | Position | College | Conference |
| Addison, Jordan | 1st RD – 23rd | Wide Receiver | USC | Pac-12 |
| Blackmon, Mekhi | 3rd RD – 102nd | Corner | USC | Pac-12 |
| Ward, Jay | 4th RD – 134th | Defensive Back | LSU | SEC |
| Roy, Jaquelin | 5th RD – 141st | Defensive Tackle | LSU | SEC |
| Hall, Jaren | 5th RD – 164th | Quarterback | BYU | Independent |
| McBride, DeWayne | 7th RD – 222nd | Running Back | UAB | Conference USA |
The Vikings’ 2024 NFL Draft
| Player | Round & Number | Position | College | Conference |
| McCarthy, J.J. | 1st RD – 10th | Quarterback | Michigan | Big 10 |
| Turner, Dallas | 1st RD – 17th | Edge Rusher | Alabama | SEC |
| Jackson, Khyree | 4th RD – 108th | Corner | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Rouse, Walter | 6th RD – 177th | Offensive Tackle | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
| Reichard, Will | 6th RD – 203rd | Kicker | Alabama | SEC |
| Jurgens, Michael | 7th RD – 230th | Center/Guard | Wake Forest | ACC |
| Rodriguez, Levi Drake | 7th RD – 232nd | Defensive Tackle | Texas A&M Commerce | ? |
Scattered Facts, Notes, & Observations
1) Of Kwesi’s 23 selections, only a pair were made in a pick slot originally owned by the Vikings. That resulted in receiver Jordan Addison (No. 23, 2023) and then corner Khyree Jackson (No. 108, 2024). More often than not, the Minnesota Vikings are cashing in picks that didn’t originally belong in The Gopher State.
2) Across the three drafts, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pulled off an impressive 11 trades (it’s a clean dozen if we include the pre-draft trade involving the Texans in 2024). How many of the trades has he won? That’s a debate that’s still ongoing.
3) The defensive backfield has been a major priority. Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., and Akayleb Evans were the initial trio. As an encore, the Vikings opted for Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward. And then the third draft kicked over Khyree Jackson. So, what we have is a total of 23 selections and a half dozen of them being devoted to the back of the defense.
4) Analytics nerds will tell you that drafting a running back high in a draft is a misguided thing to do. Well, Adofo-Mensah – an economist by trade and an analytics aficionado – has been through a trio of drafts and has drafted a pair of RBs. The higher pick is Chandler, but he went 169th. If Chandler and/or McBride (No. 222 in 2023) really break out, the Vikings fans who lean against sinking a ton into RB will be vindicated.
5) LSU stands out as a program that’s favored by Adofo-Mensah. A trio of current Vikings – Ed Ingram, Jay Ward, & Jaquelin Roy – are from that program. Don’t forget that Minnesota has benefited greatly by drafting their players before. Justin Jefferson has worked out pretty well, and so too did Danielle Hunter. Keep an eye on LSU in future years. Spots like Oklahoma (Brian Asamoah & Walter Rouse), USC (Jordan Addison & Mekhi Blackmon), and Alabama (Dallas Turner & Will Reichard) have kicked over a pair of players.
6) So far, a single pick has been sunk into a specialist. The initial strategy was to lean on undrafted free agency for specialists, leading to players like punter Ryan Wright, kicker Gabe Brkic, and tackling ace NaJee Thompson. Will Reichard ended the curse, getting scooped up in the 6th of the 2024 NFL Draft.
7) So far, there’s an even split between offense and defense. The GM has devoted 11 picks to each side in his still-young career as Minnesota’s lead executive. Obviously, we’ll need more time to assess whether there ends up being more effort to bolster one side over the other. As of right now, the balance is as even as it gets.
Last Update: Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024.
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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.