Vikings

The Vikings Were Busy On Day 2. But Were They Productive?

Photo Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah once again maneuvered up and down the board on Day 2 of the NFL draft. One night after trading picks No. 12 and 46 to the Detroit Lions in exchange for picks No. 32, 34, and 66, the Minnesota Vikings did business within the division again. The Green Bay Packers traded picks No. 53 and 59 to move to pick No. 34 to select North Dakota State wideout Christian Watson. Outside of the bitter taste of doing business with their rival, the Vikings were able to recoup some of the value that most fans and experts believed they lost in the trade with Detroit.

The Vikings didn’t take long to make another move, though. They traded up with the Indianapolis Colts, acquiring picks No. 42 and 122 in exchange for picks No. 53, 77, and 192. After selecting Georgia safety Lewis Cine in Round 1, the Vikings addressed the secondary again with pick No. 42, selecting Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.

Many fans clamored for Booth at pick No. 32 before the team grabbed Cine. So still being able to walk away with Booth at 42, another potential starter, should provide another upgrade in a secondary that ranked 28th against the pass in 2021. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com believes that Booth’s NFL comparison is Jackrabbit Jenkins.

Minnesota stayed pat at No. 59, addressing their offensive line by picking guard Ed Ingram out of LSU. Ingram is a 6’3”, 307 lb. guard who Zierlein describes as a better pass-blocker than run-blocker. That goes against what former general manager Rick Spielman looked for in his linemen, who were stronger in the run game and weaker in the passing game.

Ingram had an inconsistent 2021 season and may have work to do before seeing the field as a starter. Fortunately, the Vikings added guards Jesse Davis and Chris Reed in free agency. Therefore, they don’t need to feel rushed to insert Ingram into the starting lineup prematurely. But despite a fifth-round grade from Zierlein, Ingram is still graded as a “good backup with the potential to be a starter.”

Adofo-Mensah’s last move of the night took place seven spots later. With the second pick in the third round, the Vikings selected Oklahoma linebacker Brian Asamoah. Like Ingram, Asamoah won’t need to be counted on to start right away as the Vikings already have Jordan Hicks and Eric Kendricks manning the two inside linebacker spots.

But Asamoah possesses great athleticism, running a 4.56-second 40-yard dash. He has great pursuit speed and is good in coverage. He could stand to put on some extra weight, though, as he stands 6’0” and 226 lbs. But while it may take some time before he sees the field as a starter, Zierlein believes that Asamoah has the potential to stand out immediately on special teams.

Outside of doing business with Green Bay, Adofo-Mensah had an excellent second night in the draft. He found another immediate starter in Booth while also adding two potential starters down the road, all by pick No. 66.

For comparison’s sake, the 2021 Vikings had selected two players by pick No. 66, Christian Darrisaw and Kellen Mond. Darrisaw was recovering from a groin injury and missed the beginning of the season, and Mond was never going to see meaningful snaps barring a catastrophe in the quarterback room.

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Photo Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

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