The Vikings’ Draft Doom that Could Come to Fruition
In theory, the Vikings’ draft class from 2022 was supposed to supercharge the team, especially the back end of the defense. Instead, things have gone very, very poorly.
So poorly, in fact, that one wonders if any individual player will earn a second contract in Minnesota. Already, the team has said goodbye to 40% of the draft class — safety Lewis Cine, corner Andrew Booth Jr., defensive end Esezi Otomewo, and offensive tackle Vederian Lowe — and could realistically be moving toward a future where none survive beyond the initial four seasons.
The Vikings’ Draft Fiasco from 2022
Start off with a refresher.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah walked away from his first draft with these players:
| 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 |
There are a half dozen players left from that crew within Minnesota’s orbit. Ed Ingram (the RG1), Brian Asamoah (the LB4), Akayleb Evans (the CB4), Ty Chandler (the RB2), Jalen Nailor (the WR3), and Nick Muse (IR) are still finding employment in Eagan.
None of those players look like guarantees for second contracts with the Vikings.
In fact, some appear to be in danger of losing their grip on their current roles. One wonders if Ingram could be replaced once Dalton Risner returns from injury. So far, Minnesota’s coaching staff has proven to be stubbornly committed to the young lineman, but his play hasn’t inspired a ton of confidence.
The next highest player on the depth chart is Ty Chandler, someone who has given the team a problem to solve. The backup runner, who is already 26, had a strong Week 2 effort but has otherwise been having a poor season. Consider the numbers:
- Week 1: 8 carries, 17 yards (2.13 average)
- Week 2: 10 carries, 82 yards (8.2 average)
- Week 3: 7 carries, 13 yards (1.86 average)
- Week 4: 3 carries, 5 yards (1.67 average)
- Week 5: 14 carries, 30 yards (2.14 average)
Working in Ty Chandler’s favor is that he has turned 6 targets in the passing game into 6 catches for 42 yards and a pair of 1st downs. Plus, the man is blazingly-fast, running a 4.38 forty. Look for Minnesota to find ways of getting him into open space moving forward.
Step back a bit further, though, and one wonders what the future holds for the other players.
Brian Asamoah has turned into an afterthought, soaking up snaps as a specials teams player (82 snaps) while barely seeing the field for Brian Flores (13 snaps). Kamu Grugier-Hill is a 30-year-old journeyman linebacker who signed a single-season, $1,377,500 deal. He has earned a role on defense, suggesting that even low-level free agents can offer superior play to the 3rd-Round pick.
Evans has slid down the depth chart and is battling an injury. Muse is, at best, the TE4 when everyone is healthy. Maybe he develops into the Johnny Mundt of the future, rounding out his game and becoming a coach favorite. That outcome, though, remains to be seen. Based on playmaking alone, Muse hasn’t been able to distinguish himself.
Finally, we think of Jalen Nailor. The receiver struggled with injuries in his past but has been healthy in 2024 and making some plays. Even better, he has been doing so across different alignments on the field.
Nailor is sitting on 8 catches (11 targets) for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns. Notably, all 8 of his catches have gone for a 1st down and he’s the proud owner of a 17.1 yards-per-catch average, a fitting number for someone nicknamed Speedy. Nailor has been out wide for 112 snaps, in the slot for 70 snaps, and in the backfield for 3 snaps.
During the most recent offseason, though, Minnesota allowed K.J. Osborn to walk for just $4 million. In other words, there’s a limit to how much they’re willing to spend on a WR3 since the specific assignment — being the 4th pass-catching option behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson — isn’t particularly difficult to fill.
Seeing Minnesota move on from all ten players after their rookie deals are complete — or, as the case may be, before the contracts officially end — isn’t necessarily an expected outcome. Nevertheless, it would be fair to say that it’s not an unlikely outcome, either, further underscoring how poorly the Vikings draft went in 2022.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
Going into the Bye, The Vikings Have a Problem to Solve
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.