A New Regime’s First Draft Brings Hope To Vikings Fans
Cole Smith
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With the NFL Draft around the corner, fans across the country are waiting in anticipation of the new draft class. Teams like the Buffalo Bills are looking to add the final pieces to a championship-caliber roster. Others, like the Jacksonville Jaguars, are looking to support their talented young quarterback and pull themselves up from the cellar of the league. Many others are looking to add that potential franchise quarterback to their team and put them in contention.
For every franchise, though, the draft brings a sense of hope. There is hope that success will continue for playoff teams as well as hope that teams can make a Bengals-esque turnaround in a few years. For the Minnesota Vikings, the hope is that a middling team can finally break through and make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1976 season.
Armed with the 12th overall pick, the Vikings are in a position to move up or down depending on how the board falls ahead of them. For the first time since the 2006 draft, Rick Spielman isn’t in charge of the draft board. So while fans expect to trade down (a Spielman special), no one truly knows what new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has up his sleeve when the Vikings are on the clock.
No longer can we assume that a corner is going to be the top priority every year. Stockpiling Day 3 picks is likely a thing of the past. The unknown with this new regime means that fans will be sitting on pins and needles, ready for the unexpected.
Most fans expect that the team will draft a defender when the Vikings are on the clock Thursday night. But with Kevin O’Connell’s offensive background, and Justin Jefferson’s looming pay day, could the Vikings surprise everyone by selecting a receiver? Or is the front office ready to snag Kirk Cousins’ successor? We’ve heard all off-season how much they like Kirk, but actions speak louder than words.
Hope rings eternal on draft day. Although the class of 2022 doesn’t appear to contain the generational talents of previous drafts, there are still talented individuals who can bolster a roster. If Kwesi can hit on these picks, the “running it back” strategy could work. Fans are tired of these failed attempts from the past two seasons. But if Kwesi can work his magic, 2022 can be seen as a stepping stone, regardless of how successful (or unsuccessful) the season is.
So with the draft a day away, soak it up Vikings fans. This could be the draft that begins to change our fortunes. But even if the draft ends up being a disaster, this weekend will likely give us a sense of hope that we will carry into the season. Enjoy it with your friends, your family, or by yourself, if you so choose. Just know that anything can happen with the new regime, and that is reason to soak this weekend in.
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