Minnesota’s Draft Flexibility Is A Welcome Change

The Minnesota Vikings had a plan when they entered free agency. The Vikings hadn’t drafted well in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first three years and faced an aging player tax.

Free agency can be a gold mine in some years. Last year’s haul was evidence. The Vikings unearthed gems like Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Jonathan Greenard to boost the defense. In years like this, teams overpay as Minnesota did for Bernard Berrian roughly 15 years ago.

It was a dangerous game for a GM, especially heading into the final year of his contract. But the Vikings have played it perfectly and regained the flexibility the front office desires going into the draft.

That wasn’t the case even just a few weeks ago. The Vikings had glaring holes and needed to fill them on the open market. The interior offensive line nearly caused Kevin O’Connell to rupture a vein during the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The secondary lost multiple starters in a group led by 34-year-old Stephon Gilmore and 29-year-old Shaquill Griffin. The defensive line needed somebody to rush the passer, and the running game remains O’Connell’s Rubik’s Cube.

That’s a long list for a general manager, but Adofo-Mensah found most of his answers the week after free agency.

They completed that first objective within the first day. The Vikings chose against putting better guards around Garrett Bradbury and signed Ryan Kelly. Less than 24 hours later, Minnesota doubled down and signed Will Fries to a five-year, $87.7 million contract to fill one of the guard spots.

The move triggered another decision when the Vikings traded former second-round pick Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans. They used the sixth-round pick they got in that deal to acquire Jordan Mason, who should pair nicely with Aaron Jones — who re-signed hours before free agency began.

These were moves the Vikings made happen with their own assertiveness. But they also had some help.

The Washington Commanders released Jonathan Allen hours before the start of the free-agency period, and he hopped on the first flight to Minnesota. Signing players heading into their 30s carries some risk, but Allen gives the Vikings their first penetrating defensive lineman since Linval Joseph blew up guards in the late 2010s.

The San Francisco 49ers did their part by releasing Javon Hargrave at the same time. Hargrave has the same age (32) and injury concerns as Allen does but should be able to immediately impact a team with its eyes on the Super Bowl.

Then came the finishing touches. Signing Isaiah Rodgers, Jeffrey Okudah, and Rondale Moore didn’t create headlines outside of Minnesota, but they filled spots that help the Vikings as they enter the draft.

Minnesota’s offseason is worlds away from the Vikings during the Rick Spielman era when they tended to hunt for a specific position of great need with their top pick. If Minnesota needed a center, they took Bradbury in the first round. If they needed a receiver and a cornerback like they did in 2020, they wound up with Justin Jefferson and Jeff Gladney. They even took Christian Darrisaw in a year when the Vikings needed an offensive tackle. But overall, this strategy generated more misses than hits.

That was the philosophy that doomed the 2022 draft class. The Vikings had several needs to fill and opted to trade down 20 spots to ensure they filled them all. Lewis Cine was viewed as a luxury pick, but Ingram, Andrew Booth Jr., and Brian Asamoah were intended to address glaring needs. The result was one of the worst draft classes in franchise history and a likely reason Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have a new contract.

It contrasts what the Vikings can do entering this year’s draft. They could still fill some roster holes, including a left guard and perhaps a younger, faster complement in the backfield. But they don’t have to take any one position.

If the Vikings want to trade down to accumulate picks, they can do so without wondering what they will do on the offensive line. If they want to take a defensive tackle, they can do so without needing an immediate contribution at that position. If they want to take a cornerback and an elite talent falls down the board, the Vikings can draft and develop while competing for a conference crown.

It’s a strategy that began in last year’s draft. The Vikings had an obvious need at quarterback and filled it with J.J. McCarthy. But Minnesota’s second first-round pick gave them some options. When Dallas Turner fell down the board, Minnesota seized the opportunity, knowing they could develop him with time behind Greenard and Van Ginkel.

It’s not the immediate impact fans want from a draft pick, but it follows the blueprint the Philadelphia Eagles have established. Trades like the one that sent Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts gave them plenty of draft capital to play with, and Howie Roseman traded up and down the board until he found the pieces to build a Super Bowl champion.