Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is a Consensus Builder, a Reality that Impacts the Draft
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah likes to lean on certain key words. He preaches about his competitive rebuild, taking worthwhile risks, and the importance of value. Some less discussed but no-less-important distinguishing terms, though, are collaboration and consensus.
The young executive wants his staff to buy in. He doesn’t rule with an iron fist, instead looking to ensure his staff is unified in their belief in the consequential decisions that are coming up.
One of the distinctive features of Minnesota’s approach in the 2022 NFL Draft was to trade a ton. In the end, there were 6 moves. These deals proved to be instrumental in virtually all of the Vikings’ main picks: Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., Ed Ingram, Brian Asamoah, and Akayleb Evans.
He fielded questions about why he approached trades in the manner he did. He noted that trade charts can be a helpful tool but not the only factor. He also pointed to going with your gut and taking individual, specific situations into consideration rather than blindly following what a mathematical equation spits out (though there is a place for math, to be sure; the man is an economist).
An easily overlooked part of his responses, though, rest in the moments when he stresses the importance of getting other people’s opinions: “We take input from everybody as we do that and that’s how we come to our decisions.” In fact, he noted that they “moved as a unit” when the draft’s opening night concluded.
The team is heading toward a tremendously important draft. The Vikings aren’t in the same position as the Eagles. Philadelphia has a loaded roster and high-end draft capital. Minnesota has some great talent but plenty of glaring needs. Even more concerning, perhaps, is that the team only has 5 picks.
If the pattern from 2022 holds, the Vikings will leave the event having made more than just 5 picks. Teams that could very reasonably trade up with Minnesota are the Buffalo Bills (27th), Cincinnati Bengals (28th), and Los Angeles Rams (36th). Others exist, of course, so we shouldn’t just constrain ourselves to these teams even if they do make sense.
Later in his post-draft presser, Adofo-Mensah notes how he needed to be “nimble” with the various trade offers that came in. Presumably, being able to navigate those last-minute offers and hypotheticals helps when one feels confident in the people around oneself.
Ask yourself: does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah really come across as someone who is halfhearted about his staff? From what I can gather, the GM is very enthused about his team, the people he has surrounded himself with to allow him to thrive in his role.
Adofo-Mensah was enthused about bringing Lewis Cine into the fold. What he did confirm, though, is that some teams called about the 32nd selection with trade offers. According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, Green Bay was looking into acquiring the pick but “collaboration won out, and Adofo-Mensah was talked out of giving the team’s biggest rival the speedy receiver it coveted.”
At the end of the day, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is the most important decision maker in Eagan, Minnesota (apart from the Wilfs). Nevertheless, we need to remember that the GM’s desire is to lean on his staff and create consensus with the major decisions. As a result, we could see some decisions that don’t 100% line up with Adofo-Mensah’s personal preferences.
Chances are, some deals will present themselves when the Vikings are on the clock in the opening round. The GM will be looking to have some consensus among the front office, scouts, and coaching staff before pulling the trigger.
