Another Indictment Against the Vikings for the 2022 NFL Draft
The Minnesota Vikings are still holding out hope that they can get some production from the top players in their 2022 NFL Draft class.
However, there is a large case of evidence now that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah simply messed up at the top of his first draft as Vikings GM. Another indictment against the Vikings came in on Friday when the AP announced their All-Pro teams for this year.
Another Indictment Against the Vikings for the 2022 NFL Draft
Among the first-team All-Pro players is Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, who was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2022 Draft. In just his second NFL season, Hamilton has blossomed into one of the very best defensive players in the entire league.
Throughout the 2023 season, Hamilton was a menace in all aspects of the game. He recorded 81 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumbles, 13 passes defended, and four interceptions, anchoring Baltimore’s defense which ranked first in points allowed during the regular season.
Hamilton’s 10 tackles for loss were the most among all safeties this year, his three sacks tied for second, and his four interceptions tied for third.
So, what does Hamilton have to do with the Vikings and their draft process in 2022? Well, if fans recall, Minnesota originally held the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They could have selected Hamilton right there, but instead, the Vikings traded down with the Detroit Lions.
Minnesota gave up the 12th and 46th overall picks in the draft in order to land Nos. 32, 34, and 66. That 34th overall pick would be traded to the Green Bay Packers for No. 53 (which was also promptly traded for No. 42) and No. 59.
As a result of their trading, the Vikings landed S Lewis Cine (No. 32), CB Andrew Booth (No. 42), Ed Ingram (No. 59), and LB Brian Asamoah (No. 66) in the first three rounds of that draft. Unfortunately, Cine has not gotten a consistent role with the defense at that safety position, and the only player that has been able to carve out a starting role in Ingram, who has started 32 games at right guard.
For whatever reason, the Vikings didn’t view Hamilton as a top prospect in the draft despite his ridiculous combination of size and athleticism at the safety position. Instead, Minnesota opted for Cine and some extra draft picks. Obviously, the lack of production from their safety in 2022 isn’t his fault. A compound fracture in his leg ended his rookie season in Week 4.
However, we should have begun seeing progress from Cine in 2023. Brian Flores came in to run the defense, and he continuously used the entire depth chart of safeties to run his group. All three of Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus, and Harrison Smith played over 1000 defensive snaps this year while Theo Jackson also got 126 snaps with the unit. Even 4th-round rookie Jay Ward snagged 35 snaps on defense.
Cine, on the other hand, played a grand total of eight snaps on defense, or 0.71% of the defensive snaps. All eight of them came in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers after the game had gotten out of hand.
Making matters worse, neither Booth or Asamoah have been able to find consistent playing time, either. Booth played 151 defensive snaps this season while Asamoah totaled just 36 snaps with the Vikings defense.
There is still reason to hope that year three can be the time for these players to get on the field, but one can only wonder what the Vikings defense would look like with Hamilton on their side. It looks like the 2022 Draft will go down as yet another “what if” in Vikings history.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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.
