Questions for Kwesi: Will He Go BPA in The Draft?
K. Joudry
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NFL GMs, for the most part, will tell the media that they always go best player available. This self-proclaimed adherence to choosing the BPA often flies against what actually occurs, so fans would be correct to have some skepticism toward this overused proclamation. With Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, it’s hard to know what the draft will look like since it’s his first one as a GM.
The Vikings, for instance, will probably avoid sinking their opening-round pick into an offensive tackle. It’s not that it would be a bad idea, it’s more that they feel really good about Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
Minnesota, in all likelihood, will do their utmost to marry need and value. Teams often separate their players into tiers for evaluation purposes. Let’s say there are similarly graded players who all occupy the top tier once the 12th pick arrives. The Vikings would likely use their positional need(s) to then determine who to take from there. So, if there is an OT, corner, and QB all in that same tier once the Vikings are on the clock, the conventional wisdom would suggest that they take the corner since it’s the main need.
The issue for prognosticators, of course, is that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is a wild card in many aspects of being a GM. So far, we’ve wondered whether KAM will choose a QB. We’ve also been wondering if he has done enough for the offensive line. This next question isn’t quite as specific. Rather than hone in on a particular position, Vikings fans should be wondering if the team will actually follow the usual wisdom of opting for the BPA.
Most fans agree that corner, EDGE, and iOL are the three weakest positions. That reality means most fans and mock drafters are sending Minnesota someone for one of these three spots.
Consider, though, the massive numbers being thrown at wide receivers. The deals signed by Tyreek Hill, Davante Adam, and even Christian Kirk likely scare NFL management teams. Might that concern about a future Justin Jefferson deal be enough to make a first-round receiver attractive? It’s far from the team’s greatest need, so it’d certainly have to be a situation where GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah really felt like he was getting the best player.
The inverse could also occur. Maybe the team truly believes that the best player is someone like Jordan Davis, a stud defensive tackle. Playing that position might disqualify him if the team decides that they must have a first-round corner.
At 12th overall, the Vikings are going to have their shot at an incredible talent. It’s a near certainty that someone will be there who goes on to be an All-Pro level player. Ideally, KAM and his team can identify who this player is and be bold enough to choose him, even if it happens to overlap with a current strength.
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