Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Bad Habit
At some point, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needs to start mining the 2nd Round for high-end talent.
To date, the Vikings’ GM has made a pair of picks in that round: CB Andrew Booth Jr. and RG Ed Ingram. Neither is on Minnesota’s roster; both have been traded away after failing to make a strong impact for the Vikings. Getting the Vikings to where they want to go — yearly contention for a Super Bowl, eventually breaking through to win a Lombardi — may require Adofo-Mensah to reverse the trend in the draft’s 2nd Round.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and The Draft’s 2nd Round
Consider some recent examples of Vikings 2nd-Round selections who did well.
Let’s limit ourselves to 2010 onward, an arbitrary cutoff but one that allows us to deal with a manageable amount of examples. Successful picks include tight end Kyle Rudolph, linebacker Eric Kendricks, corner Mackensie Alexander, running back Dalvin Cook, right tackle Brian O’Neill, and left guard Ezra Cleveland.
Drill down a bit and focus-in on Mr. Kendricks, someone of unusual intelligence, work ethic, and athleticism.
The prime version of Eric Kendricks was among the best middle linebackers in the NFL, bested by a shortlist of players like Bobby Wagner, Luke Kuechly, and maybe a few others. The No. 45 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft was sensational in 2019, being named as a first-team All Pro after a season with 110 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 2 QB hits, 4 tackles for loss, 12 passes defended, and 2 forced fumbles. PFF have him a sizzling 90.2 grade for his work.
At his best, Kendricks made the game look effortless, a surefire sign that he’s a true pro who put in a ton of effort to master his position.
One then thinks of Brian O’Neill, currently a team captain and stalwart on the offensive line. He’s among the game’s better tackles and is being leaned on by Kevin O’Connell to help push the offense toward elite. If successful, then a lot of wins are going to be part of the 2025 Vikings season.
At present, Minnesota still has their 2nd in the 2026 NFL Draft. Does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah show a willingness to forfeit it in a trade yet again?
The 2023, 2024, and 2025 Drafts featured no 2nd-Round selections for Mr. Adofo-Mensah due to the GM’s trading proclivities. T.J. Hockenson was responsible for losing the 2nd in ’23. Dallas Turner, in a roundabout manner, pried away the 2nd in both of ’24 and ’25. The history, in other other words, points toward a team executive who is fully willing to give up his most lucrative Day 2 selection for the right opportunity.
The caveat to consider is simply that the Vikings are moving into a tough salary cap situation in 2026. Helping to offset that issue is an ample draft class, a collection of talent that is cost-controlled. The GM could very plausibly look to keep a pile of picks for that precise reason.
Across four drafts as the Vikings’ general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made a pair of selections in the 2nd Round. In neither instance did it work out.
Adofo-Mensah can start off by retaining his 2nd. Even better will be if he then picks someone who lives within the same orbit as Rudolph, Kendricks, Cook, and O’Neill. Doing so would function as a major boost for the Minnesota Vikings.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, 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 Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
