Another Hiccup for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Drafting History with the Vikings
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s drafting history isn’t particularly long. It also isn’t particularly impressive.
Right now, the 2022 draft class looks like a mess, largely because several players have already been cut and several others are struggling to make a difference. More recently, there was the 2023 crew, the cluster of players that resulted in Jordan Addison being added to function as the Robin to Justin Jefferson’s Batman. How have the returns been for that class?
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Drafting with the Vikings
Thankfully, there’s Ivan Pace Jr.
Not a draft pick, the undrafted free agent has been excellent across his opening season-and-a-half of NFL play. Pace quickly earned a starting position while rewarding the coaching staff for inserting him into the lineup. In 2024, Pace has 55 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown. He has done so in just seven games.
Other UDFA adds like Andre Carter II (on the practice squad) and NaJee Thompson (on injured reserve) deserve a mention and applause.
Otherwise, consider who got added via the 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 |
At this stage, the above list doesn’t look particularly impressive. The final three names — Roy, Hall, and McBride — have all been cut. The end result is just 50% of the draft still calling Minnesota home. Even worse (but not Adofo-Mensah’s fault), Blackmon is out for his sophomore season due to a torn ACL.
One then thinks of Mr. Ward, the versatile defensive back. He is only playing on special teams at this stage. Part of that is due to an ultra-deep safety room that boasts Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Josh Metellus. Nevertheless, it’s notable that the 4th-Round selection has just 12 snaps on defense compared to 179 snaps on special teams.
The final chapter hasn’t been written for Ward, so don’t write him off even if there’s broader skepticism about the young players Adofo-Mensah brought aboard. The safety is 24.
Finally, there’s the crown jewel of the draft haul: wide receiver Jordan Addison. Currently, the No. 23 selection is sitting on 21 receptions for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns. The 14.2 yards-per-reception average is healthy even if the workload is quite light. Keep in mind that Kevin O’Connell has sought to get Addison involved a bit by giving the ball to him as a runner. So far, that approach has resulted in 3 carries for 20 yards and a score.
Lately, the offense has been proceeding in a clunky manner, at least partly due to Addison not being his usual self. Some of that modest production is an overflow from Sam Darnold struggling but then one also wonders about the individual receiver. Is he playing through a sophomore slump?
On a per-game basis, Addison’s yards have dropped from 53.6 to 42.6. That’s a reality that has emerged despite averaging more yards per target and more yards per touch. In other words, Addison is producing more with the opportunities that he has had; the issue is simply that there haven’t been as many opportunities.
Generally speaking, targeting Justin Jefferson over and over again is a wise strategy, but the Week 10 effort in Jacksonville showed the limits of the strategy. Forcing the ball into the WR1 when he’s really covered is misguided. Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones are in town for precisely that reality: to keep the offense moving even if Jefferson gets tamed. The Jaguars game involved Hockenson and Jones doing plenty of good things while receiving plenty of touches. Addion, in contrast, didn’t get a major workload.
Minnesota is finding success in 2024 largely because the carryover players from Rick Spielman are meshing well with the free agent additions from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The third component — the draftees from the current GM — have mostly been absent, an issue that is particularly pronounced now that Will Reichard is on the IR.
Jordan Addison has the capacity to be a low-end WR1 in the NFL. In Minnesota’s offense, a low-end WR1 feels particularly dangerous given that there’s already an elite WR1, a rock-solid TE1, and a very good RB1. Seeing the Adofo-Mensah draft pick get back to his normal self would go a long way in helping Minnesota’s offense to shake off its recent malaise while similarly inspiring more confidence in the GM’s recent draft class.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.