Vikings Earn a “Warning” Going into 2025 NFL Draft
Safe to say that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s history of drafting for the Minnesota Vikings is less than perfect. Sending along a warning thus makes some sense, especially when the one offering the word of caution used to be Minnesota’s general manager.
Over on Vikings Territory, Jeff Diamond — the team’s top executive from 1991-98, per PFR — dipped into some reflections on the team’s recent draft history alongside his own experience as an NFL executive. The overarching takeaway is to be skeptical about trading down, a common talking point surrounding a Vikings squad with just four draft selections. Diamond gives some specific advice about how to navigate the issue.
The Vikings Earn a Draft “Warning”
Getting a warning from a writer is one thing. Getting a warning from a writer who knows what it’s like to be a high-level executive in the NFL is quite another.
Of course, there’s an obvious caveat that should be acknowledged: GM Hindsight — whether being used by someone inside or outside of the NFL — is always the greatest GM. Being able to reflect on tangible results several years after picks have been made comes with the distinct advantage of seeing uncertainty melt away as ironclad reality solidifies itself.
With that being said, consider some of Diamond’s argument.
First, there’s the obvious point about the Lewis Cine disaster and the possibility of moving down again: “I say that’s a dangerous game to play, and Minnesota has the 2022 draft as a prime example of the mistake they made when trading their No. 12 pick in the first round plus a second-rounder (No. 46) to division-rival Detroit.”
And then the hindsight gets worked into the mix: “It’s painful for Minnesota to see the outstanding players they could have taken at No. 12 in the 2022 draft. Baltimore selected two-time all-pro safety Kyle Hamilton at No. 14. Kansas City picked two-time all-pro corner Trent McDuffie at No. 21. Think how much Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores would love to have either of those playmaking defensive backs on their defense.”
As previously mentioned, being able to rely on future insight for past drafts gives us a huge edge in player evaluation. No one can dispute that. The pushback is simply that a GM is paid major money to have insight about the future, to be someone who works with the uncertainty of present-day knowledge and still make the correct choice about who will become great. No one is flawless — every GM is human — but some are better at doing this than others.
Do we step back and conclude that Jeff Diamond is insisting that swearing off trading back is the only way to go? If so, then we’re misunderstanding his argument.
Diamond goes on to clarify things a bit further: “That 1981 draft convinced me it only made sense to move down a couple of spots in the first round if we had several players of basically equal grades available at our spot, so we knew we’d get one of our desired players. But not to move at all if there was a player we graded as potential Pro Bowl caliber available at our spot. And definitely not to trade out of the first round completely unless it was for a veteran player of star caliber.”
More specifically as it relates to the Vikings: “So for Minnesota in next week’s draft, stay put at No. 24 if there is a premier offensive guard, corner, safety or defensive lineman but still take the best player available regardless of position and if he plays guard, corner or safety as the three biggest need positions, then so much the better.”
Go ahead and check out the rest of Diamond’s piece on Vikings Territory.
The 2025 NFL Draft gets going on Thursday, April 24th.
If Desired, The Vikings Can Throw Caution to the Wind, Push Expectations Through the Roof
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.