Start with 16. Now Toss on 9 to Bring Things Up to 25. Where Does that Leave the Vikings?
So far, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made 16 selections as the Vikings’ GM. If nothing changes, Adofo-Mensah will add 9 onto the total in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Toss is all together and he will have made 25 draft picks across his opening three years in Minnesota. What did the GM accomplish within those selections? The first and most notable details simply rest on what positions have been prioritized and others that haven’t been. Taking a closer look, though, gives us a better sense of what’s to come in the very near future while also giving us a bit of perspective on how successful these drafts have been.
16 + 9 = 25. Did the Vikings Rebuild? Are they Closer to Being Competitive?
Overhauling the secondary has been a major priority.
Adofo-Mensah’s opening pair of selections gave us the first clue. Safety Lewis Cine — the byproduct of a trade down — and corner Andrew Booth Jr. — the byproduct of a trade up — were picks #1 and #2 in his time as the GM. He then brought in corner Akayleb Evans. During the next draft, Adofo-Mensah drafted corner Mekhi Blackmon and safety Jay Ward.
Now, there are other trends. The GM has scooped up a pair of running backs (Ty Chandler & DeWayne McBride), a pair of receivers (Jalen Nailor & Jordan Addison), and even a quarterback (Jaren Hall). There has been a tight end (Nick Muse), linebacker (Brian Asamoah), and defensive end (Esezi Otomewo). The secondary, though, has been the greatest priority, at least in terms of total picks.
Consider who else has been added in the draft:
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 |
Now go ahead and consider where the team is scheduled to pick, with the precise location courtesy of Tankathon and PFF:
The Vikings’ 2024 NFL Draft
| Player | Round & Number | Position | College | Conference |
| 1st RD – 11th | ||||
| 2nd RD – 42nd | ||||
| 4th RD – 108th | ||||
| 4th RD – 129th | ||||
| 5th RD – 155th | ||||
| 5th RD – 164th | ||||
| 6th RD – 178th | ||||
| 6th RD – 189th | ||||
| 7th RD – 230th |
How do these picks get divvied up? What positions get prioritized?
As the Vikings continue rebuilding their defense, the draft priority is very likely to shift away from the secondary. The front seven has been a pretty major focus in free agency — Za’Darius Smith, Harrison Phillips, Jordan Hicks, Dean Lowry, Marcus Davenport, etc. — but the draft is likely to become a more pronounced avenue for beefing up the position.
One also thinks of the offensive line as being an area that needs work. Ed Ingram and Vederian Lowe are the lone two offensive linemen chosen by the Vikings’ GM. Adofo-Mensah has even gotten rid of one of those guys, trading away Lowe in a deal with the Patriots.
The OL depth is pretty skimpy, so expect at least one or two big fellas to get brought in.
One could also make a pretty good case for picking another corner, linebacker, running back, tight end, and/or defensive tackle. Oh, and there’s a need at quarterback, too.
Pushing things up to 25 drafted players within a three-year span would be a satisfyingly large number. Did the Vikings do a good job of rebuilding within those selections? No doubt, some of the decisions have been excellent, but there are others that have been pretty disappointing.
Onboarding young, cost-controlled talent is an excellent strategy for a team that’s looking to rebuild, even one that’s simultaneously seeking to maintain its competitiveness while doing so. Minnesota has the option to keep their top-tier players happy with huge deals while still being able to balance the books since they’re layering in so many rookie contracts. These players, though, need to develop into capable contributors.
In the end, the 2024 NFL Draft looks to be a tremendously important one. Nailing picks in the same way that the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams did last year will go a long way in helping the Vikings to cozy up with the competitive portion of their competitive rebuild.
The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 25th.
Filling the Vikings’ Pass Rush Need with an Explosive EDGE in the 2024 NFL Draft
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.