A Rick Spielman Strength Has Been a Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Mystery

K. Joudry |

Apr 26, 2024

Oct 29, 2017; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman arrives before an NFL International Series game against the Cleveland Browns at Twickenham Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

For a long time, the Vikings’ roster has been nourished by excellent talent from the 2^nd round of the NFL Draft.

Rick Spielman was a leading executive in Minnesota from 2006-2021. Initially, he was the VP of Player Personnel (2006-11) before taking over as the GM (2012-21), meaning he was a majorly influential decision maker in recent Vikings history. And while he wasn’t perfect, Spielman did an excellent job of allowing the roster to draw on a deep reservoir of talent from the 2^nd Round. Has the trend carried over to Kwesi Adofo-Mensah?

Rick Spielman Did Marvellous Work in RD2; How is Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Doing in the Same Spot?

Go ahead and relive the work that Spielman did in the 2^nd Round of his NFL Drafts at the helm in Minnesota:

2006: Cedric Griffin, Ryan Cook, Tarvaris Jackson
2007: Sidney Rice
2008: Tyrell Johnson
2009: Phil Loadholt
2010: Chris Cook, Toby Gerhart
2011: Kyle Rudolph
2012: N/A
2013: N/A
2014: N/A
2015: Eric Kendricks
2016: Mackensie Alexander
2017: Dalvin Cook
2018: Brian O’Neill
2019: Irv Smith Jr.
2020: Ezra Cleveland
2021: N/A

The list is impressive.

Dec 4, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) and linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) and linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) react after New York Jets wide receiver Braxton Berrios (10) drops a touchdown pass late during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Kendricks developed into a first-team All Pro player. Brian O’Neill has become one of the NFL’s best right tackles while Dalvin Cook was among the league’s most dangerous runners for a long time.

Kyle Rudolph was a slam dunk pick and so, too, was the Phil Loadholt selection strong. Sidney Rice had moments of excellence and Mackensie Alexander provided some rock-solid stretches of football as a slot corner. Ezra Cleveland looked like an excellent pick as an athletic left guard who appeared to be a part of Minnesota’s long-term plans until the Jacksonville trade.

To be sure, there were some misses. The trio from 2006 could have done better. The 2010 picks struggled, and the Irv Smith upside never materialized.

NFL: NFC Wild Card Round-New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings — Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. (84) reacts after making a catch for a touchdown against the New York Giants during the third quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Even still, Spielman’s RD2 haul is impressive. There’s a nice blend of elite talent (Kendricks, Cook, O’Neill) and strong starters (Loadholt, Rudolph, Alexander, Cleveland).

Jump into the present day. Consider the work that Adofo-Mensah has done in RD2 since taking over:

2022: Andrew Booth, Ed Ingram
2023: N/A
2024: N/A (Subject to Change)
2025: N/A (Subject to Change)

Right off the top, the obvious: the current GM doesn’t have near the history as his predecessor. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took over in January of 2022, so he hasn’t even completed his third NFL Draft (it’s ongoing).

The 2023 NFL Draft didn’t offer anyone from the 2^nd since Adofo-Mensah pulled off a trade for tight end T.J. Hockenson. Bringing the excellent TE to town involved exchanging a 2^nd in 2023 for a 4^th in 2023 (alongside some pick shuffling in 2024).

More recently, Adofo-Mensah moved on from his 2^nd in 2024 and his 2^nd in 2025 (Texans trade). There’s still a lot of time to get back into the 2^nd in 2025 but seeing a RD2 selection in 2024 looks unlikely.

NFL: Combine — Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah speaks during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

All we have, then, are the pair from 2022. A lot of optimism followed the Booth pick; a lot of skepticism followed the Ingram pick. Ironically, the right guard has become a solidified starter whereas the corner hasn’t been able to get onto the field with any regularity. The overall assessment of the pair isn’t super flattering, though. Neither can be deemed a bust but they’re far from looking like home-run selections.

At the end of the day, a GM’s job is to build a roster that can compete for a Super Bowl. Thriving in RD2 is a means to an end, simply one way of onboarding talent. So while Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s early track record in the 2^nd Round isn’t excellent, the broader goal of constructing an elite roster remains in play for the young executive.

The 2^nd Round of the 2024 NFL Draft gets going tonight.

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 and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.