Kwesi Adofo-Mensah often speaks of time horizons, a term he likely picked up on Wall Street. In 2022, he tried to operate with one eye on the past and the other on the present, taking players who would help the Minnesota Vikings in the future while winning with a veteran core the following season.
Adofo-Mensah accomplished the second part when Minnesota won 13 games in his first season as general manager. However, his first three picks from that draft – Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth, and Ed Ingram – are no longer with the Vikings. Reflecting on the 2022 draft before last season, he admitted he may have tried to do too much at once.
“When I entered the building, trying to compete [with an] aging roster, salary cap [problems],” Adofo-Mensah said, comparing the process to Minnesota’s historic 33-point comeback against the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. “As we all know from that [Colts] game, it starts with one play, one drive, and you build.”
Still, Adofo-Mensah always had this offseason in mind when he took the Vikings job. He did what he could with Rick Spielman’s core, shed veteran salaries in the 2023 offseason, and flipped the cap last year when he let Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter walk.
Then he nailed free agency this year.
- After the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams blitzed Sam Darnold up the middle, he grabbed guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly.
- He also made J.J. McCarthy’s life easier by extending Aaron Jones and trading for Jordan Mason.
- Adofo-Mensah bolstered the defensive line with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
- The Vikings got thin at corner last year, and he re-upped with Byron Murphy and signed Isaiah Rodgers.
Adofo-Mensah addressed Minnesota’s most significant needs in free agency. Therefore, he can draft the best player available with the Vikings’ limited draft capital.
In 2022, Adofo-Mensah drafted Cine as Harrison Smith’s heir apparent, Booth to add cornerback depth, and Ingram to address guard. Three years later, he’s free to add the best players he can in the draft while operating under McCarthy’s rookie contract. The Vikings have a fifth-year option on McCarthy’s deal, so they have until 2028 to build a contender before he becomes expensive.
Still, there are meaningful caveats.
Drafted players typically provide better value than free agents because rookies enter the league on team-friendly contracts. Meanwhile, the Vikings had to outspend competitors in the open market for talent. Therefore, building a roster in free agency feels more like a tax than a luxury.
Smith is returning on a one-year deal, but Minnesota still has no replacement for the 36-year-old safety. The Vikings also would have benefitted from Booth’s presence at corner and Ingram’s at guard. They also don’t have to pick up a center if Garrett Bradbury, a first-round pick from the Spielman regime, panned out.
The Vikings also have to be right about McCarthy. His rookie contract will not benefit them if he cannot operate the offense. He played well in the preseason and studied meticulously while recovering from a meniscus tear last season. McCarthy also enters a favorable situation, making him more likely to succeed.
Aside from finding a quarterback to bridge McCarthy, the Vikings have no pressing needs. Minnesota will likely use free agency to add a veteran quarterback to compete with McCarthy in camp. Therefore, Adofo-Mensah can enter the draft looking to add the best players available without being pigeonholed into filling certain positions.
Vikings ownership is likely evaluating Adofo-Mensah’s draft process before extending him. It’s the final puzzle piece for a general manager who has done well in free agency and with trades. Adofo-Mensah has set the team up well to compete next year while adding talent through the draft, a fitting full-circle moment as he tries to secure his future in Minnesota.
