5 Vikings Facts from the Trio of Most Recent Drafts
Safe to say that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have a pristine track record when it comes to drafting talent.
Alas, he’s human, so he’s like the rest of us insofar as he’s capable of making mistakes. The most important thing at this stage is that the team’s GM is learning from prior misses so that he can improve in the future.
Getting a better grasp on the past will mean digging into some Vikings facts. Adofo-Mensah has moved his Vikings through drafts in 2022, 2023, and 2024. As we assess what he’s done, what kind of facts can we draw out? What are his tendencies and trends? Helping us to pull out these facts are PurplePTSD’s Complete Kwesi Trade Tracker alongside Every One of Kwesi Adodo-Mensah’s Draft Picks.
5 Vikings Facts from The Trio of Recent Drafts
Fact #1 — A Total of 23 Draft Selections
Start off with the tragedy: corner Khyree Jackson losing his life last summer due to a car accident. He was chosen in the 4th Round of the 2024 NFL Draft. For obvious reasons, he is being excluded from the analysis, but I did want to mention him since he hasn’t been forgotten.
We can then move down to twenty-two players who have been drafted by Adofo-Mensah. How many are still on the roster? Check it out:
2022: 3/10
2023: 3/6
2024: 6/6
The further we go, the worse 2022 looks. Two of the remaining players — linebacker Brian Asamoah and running back Ty Chandler — are far from a lock to make the team. Even worse is that someone like Jay Ward, a 2023 pick, could be cut, as well. The versatile defensive back still has much to prove.
The great hope is that the 2024 class will sparkle and shine. Seeing J.J. McCarthy become a true QB1 would cleanse a lot of the GM’s draft sins. So, too, could Dallas Turner develop into a special talent. Otherwise, the most optimism seems to rest with kicker Will Reichard and offensive tackle (guard?) Walter Rouse.
Fact #2 — An Even Split Across the Phases of Football
What happens when we drill down to see how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has chosen to address the different phases of the game? Well, we get a satisfying breakdown that will make detail-oriented people pleased.
In 2022, Adofo-Mensah picked up five players for offense and five players for defense. In 2023, Adofo-Mensah picked up three players for offense and three players for defense. In 2024, Adofo-Mensah picked up three players for offense, three players for defense, and a specialist.
All pretty balanced and even. Does he throw off the trend in 2025 or does the harmony continue?
Fact #3 — A Dozen Draft Trades
The GM loves to trade.
When it comes to the NFL draft, Adofo-Mensah has pulled off eleven trades. However, if we massage the timeline, we can push things up to a dozen. Back in March of 2024, Adofo-Mensah did business with Houston, bringing in that extra 1st-Round selection that led to no shortage of digital ink being spilled about a potential trade up for a passer.
Instead, the (relatively) major trade up was for Turner, the long-and-strong pass rusher who got scooped up at No. 17.
Fact #4 — Rebuilding the Secondary Still a Work in Progress
Missing on all of Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., and Akayleb Evans is a tough outcome. None of these players are still with the team.
In 2023, Mekhi Blackmon got added. He showed off promise as a rookie but then lost his sophomore season due to a torn ACL. Cautious optimism surrounds the third-year corner. Dwight McGlothern is another young corner with promise, but he exists a bit outside the parameters of the article given that he was an undrafted free agent.
Currently, a lot of the focus rests on who the Vikings will select at No. 24. Or, perhaps, after a trade back. Very good chance that the opening pick goes toward a corner or safety.
Fact #5 — The Positions to Have Never Been Drafted
The obvious spots are on special teams: punter and long snapper. Last year, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah broke the special teams curse by snagging Will Reichard in the 6th.
Furthermore, he drafted his first ever edge rusher when he opted for Turner.
One could be a bit pedantic about the definition of a running back, insisting that Adofo-Mensah has never cashed in a pick to snag a fullback.
Otherwise, every position has been covered by the GM. A spot like off-ball linebacker (Brian Asamoah) has just a single representative and so, too, does the tight end position have just a single person (Nick Muse). We’ll see how he opts to address the positions of need from April 24th to 26th.
The Wild Adventure of a Vikings Pick: Tracking the Plentiful Twists, Turns, and Trades
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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.