Admittedly, I jumped the gun a bit on this topic. A earlier article erroneously advised that Minnesota was working with eight alternatives after they solely had seven.
Some larger consideration to element and a renewed dedication to checking over the info have introduced issues again round to a conclusion that is appropriate. The Vikings are presently sitting at 9 alternatives for the seven-round occasion (as Andrew Krammer confirms), a sign of the chances which might be sitting in entrance of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah because the calendar marches towards 2024.
The Vikings are Piling Up Draft Picks
Getting too far into the weeds isn’t the aim of this piece (those that have an interest within the finer particulars can discover them in Part 121’s Draft Pick War Chest and Complete Kwesi Trade Tracker). As an alternative, the aim is solely to relay the fact of the crew’s draft picks earlier than explaining a few of the implications.
At present, the Vikings have these alternatives:
- 1st (MIN)
- 2nd (MIN)
- 4th (MIN)
- 4th (DET)
- fifth (KC)
- fifth (CLE)
- sixth (CAR)
- sixth (NE)
- seventh (ARI)
Clearly, there’s nonetheless a lot that must be decided relating to how invaluable these picks can be. Minnesota’s report alongside the report of the varied groups which have their picks sitting in Kwesi’s coffers can be vitally essential data.
Now, the occasion is a lengthy manner away. There’s nonetheless half of a soccer season, the playoffs, and free company to sort out earlier than the draft arrives. Don’t overlook, although, that every one of those occasions will issue into the worth of the picks and the way they might be used.
One thinks of free company, a way of participant acquisition that needs to be alive and effectively for Minnesota. The crew has lower than 40 gamers underneath contract for subsequent season and a bit under $52 million in cap room obtainable. The necessity for extra expertise alongside the pile of cap room level towards a busy March for the GM.
One thing that can assist Adofo-Mensah is the information that he’s sitting on loads of draft alternatives. A drafted rookie ensures a crew has 4 yr of cost-controlled play, which means there’s added room within the finances to go big-game searching in free company. Certainly, a surefire strategy to offset main contracts for, say, Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, and Justin Jefferson is to stockpile gamers who’re performing on their rookie offers.
After all, all types of Vikings followers can be questioning about the opportunity of drafting a younger quarterback. That’s going to be an ever-present risk main as much as the draft, particularly because the movie nerds are telling us that there are going to be a variety of robust QB prospects.
Once more, although, we’ll want to attend and see. Possibly Jaren Corridor excels, dispelling any considerations about Minnesota needing a QB of the long run. Possibly Kirk Cousins pulls off a exceptional restoration and will get re-signed for a serious deal. Possibly the crew leverages their many picks to commerce for a veteran sign caller.
Potentialities galore. And, to make certain, that’s a part of the purpose.
Kwesi has confirmed to be fairly elusive together with his method. Whereas all eyes have been on the protection in March of 2023, Adofo-Mensah made Josh Oliver — a blocking specialist at tight finish whom most had by no means heard of — as his first main signing. Not many had that one on their purple bingo card. Loads of different examples — buying and selling for T.J. Hockenson, dropping from twelfth to thirty second in 2022, shifting on from Ezra Cleveland — display that the GM is kind of content material doing his personal factor.
The GM hasn’t all the time made the proper choices, however he has persistently demonstrated that he’s unafraid of going towards the prevailing knowledge.
Having 9 draft picks offers the younger government choices. Adofo-Mensah has pulled off a complete of 9 trades throughout his pair of NFL drafts, so the most secure guess is that we’ll see him shuffle the deck earlier than it’s all stated and finished. He might aggressively pursue a QB or perhaps goal high-end move rushers. He might preserve bolstering the offense’s talent positions, perhaps by onboarding a dynamic runner to enhance the O’Connell offense. Including one other nook couldn’t harm, both.
The overarching level is solely that the Vikings have clearly made it a precedence to stockpile picks for 2024. Doing so opens up loads of avenues for enchancment that ought to have followers enthusiastic about what’s to return.
Editor’s Observe: Info from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
Ok. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been masking the Vikings full time because the summer season of 2021. He might be discovered on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.