Arguably the Vikings’ Best Draft Pick was One that Involved No Trading
K. Joudry
|
Take a look under the hood and there will usually be a trade.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has pulled off nine trades in his opening pair of drafts (and twenty swaps as a whole). The end result of that maneuvering is the vast majority of the draftees arriving from draft slots not originally owned by Minnesota. And yet the Vikings’ best pick from 2022 to 2023 – wide receiver Jordan Addison – arrived courtesy of Minnesota’s own 1st-round selection.
Is Jordan Addison The Vikings’ Best Pick of the Past Two Drafts?
In a perfect world, the Vikings will move ahead with a 1A and 1B at receiver.
True, Addison is very unlikely to soar to Justin Jefferson’s heights — who can? — but the hope is that the soon-to-be sophomore will solidify himself as being among the game’s most promising receivers.
As a rookie, Addison picked up 70 catches, 911 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Being able to score with such proficiency is impressive, especially since he isn’t built like a lot of redzone threats. Unlike pass catchers like A.J. Brown, Mike Evans, and D.K. Metcalf, Addison is standing at 5’11” and weighing 175 pounds. So, his game isn’t about out-rebounding a defensive back.
Instead, the 22-year-old creates separation by being super shifty and quick to get to top speed.
Making the numbers even more impressive is that Addison was offering that production amidst no shortage of QB instability. Kirk Cousins went down and then all of Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall took turns getting starts and getting benched. Not easy for a young receiver.
And then the reality is that Addison wasn’t supposed to be the WR1 (that’s Justin Jefferson’s job). In fact, he wasn’t even supposed to be the #2 pass catcher (that’s T.J. Hockenson’s job). At different points, though, Addison had to slide into those roles.
All of that while being a 21-year-old rookie who was chosen 23rd overall.
Part of what makes Addison unique is that he was scooped up with a pick originally owned by the Vikings. Generally speaking, players have been added after the GM has pulled off a previous trade. Not Addison, though.
There’s an important takeaway.
The 2024 NFL Draft is going to arrive in just a couple of days. Most assume that Minnesota will be using their opening-round selections to go up for a QB, but that’s not a foregone conclusion. The Vikings could hang onto No. 11 and No. 23, picking players in those draft slots instead of moving around the board through trade.
And while there’s no guarantee that any particular strategy will work out, the reminder with Jordan Addison is that staying put to pluck a player out of the prospect pool can lead to a great outcome.
After all, Addison may be Adofo-Mensah’s best draft decision.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
One Vikings Free Agency Acquisition Has Kevin O’Connell Very Excited
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.