When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Seems Destined to Get His Elbows Up
The reputation has been well earned.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is ultra aggressive when snagging undrafted free agents. The draft ends and the Vikings GM gets back to work. No rest for the weary. Lots of players slip through the cracks, falling out of the three-day event even though a draft pick should have been used on these talented players. Adofo-Mensah understands the reality and responds accordingly, liberally spending money to onboard upside UDFA options.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Getting His Elbows Up
One wonders if the approach will be particularly pronounced in 2025.
As a lot of Vikings fans have already heard, Minnesota is moving into the 2025 draft with just four selections. More specifically, there’s No. 24 (1st), No. 97 (3rd), No. 139 (5th), and No. 187 (6th). Where did the rest of the picks go? Well, Dallas Turner put a dent into things. Acquiring No. 17 last year meant moving on from the 2025 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Pretty major bite taken out of the draft capital for the upside pass rusher who still has much to prove.
One wonders, then, if the aggressiveness with undrafted free agents will be even more prominent. Only picking four, five, or six players — depending on the in-draft trading — could mean making a greater effort to lure the year’s best UDFAs to the Twin Cities.
The greatest success story, of course, was in signing linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. As a rookie, he not only made the team, but he actually became a starter. The 24-year-old defender played in all seventeen games in his debut season, starting eleven. He picked up 102 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 9 QB hits, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. He battled injury last year, playing in eleven games while starting ten. He picked up 72 tackles, 3 sacks, 7 QB hits, 7 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass defended.
Almost certainly, a redo of the 2023 NFL Draft would involve Ivan Pace not seeing Day 3. Some team would scoop him up in either the 2nd or 3rd Round.
Success stories also involve punter Ryan Wright, special teams ace NaJee Thompson, edge rushers Gabriel Murphy alongside Bo Richter, and defensive tackle Taki Taimani. Other undrafted players who have hung around in Minnesota for a little while include edge rusher Luiji Vilain, linebacker William Kwenkeu, receiver Malik Knowles, edge rusher Andre Carter, receiver Thomas Thayer, and receiver Jeshaun Jones.
How does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah snag these players? Well, in a lot of instances, he hands over some decent money.
Consider, for instance, the deal for Andre Carter II. The long-and-strong pass rusher landed $340,000 guaranteed, a hearty total. One thinks of Canadian pass rusher Luiji Vilain, as well, since he picked up $227,000 in guaranteed money. More recently, Gabriel Murphy earned some cash by guaranteeing himself $245,000 to become a Viking. Oh, and Ivan Pace? The best UDFA pickup of them all demanded $236,000 in guaranteed money.
Chump change for someone like Kirk Cousins, but great paydays in the world of UDFA signings.
Once the 2025 NFL Draft is over, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is going to get his elbows up, boxing out rival teams in an effort to land some of the best remaining talent. Until then, read about every UDFA he has signed.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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.
