Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s biggest NFL Draft steal received prestigious award after game changing play Week 9 win vs. Lions
It was a massive play for the Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t had the best luck in the NFL Draft, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s biggest hit was in the seventh round in defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez. He changed the course of the Vikings’ 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions with his field goal block in the fourth quarter.
That play didn’t just shift the momentum of the game; it gave the Vikings the ball with the ability to go up two scores, and the play ended up catapulting them to a big NFC North victory. It also won Rodriguez the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
Levi Drake Rodriguez win NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award
The field goal was a massive one for the Vikings, and you can see how aggressive Rodriguez was in attacking the blocker to get the necessary penetration.
This is the kind of effort that Rodriguez exemplifies on every snap he plays, and it paid off in a big way. Per the Vikings, Rodriguez is the second defensive player and the ninth non-specialist to win the award.
The Vikings aren’t strangers to winning awards either, as it was the 17th player of the week award won by a Vikings player under O’Connell.
- 2022: K Greg Joseph, Week 4 (Special Teams)
- 2022: P Ryan Wright, Week 6 (Special Teams)
- 2022: EDGE Za’Darius Smith, Week 8 (Defensive)
- 2022: WR Justin Jefferson, Week 10 (Offensive)
- 2022: RB Kene Nwangwu, Week 12 (Special Teams)
- 2022: QB Kirk Cousins, Week 15 (Offensive)
- 2022: K Greg Joseph, Week 16 (Special Teams)
- 2023: ILB Jordan Hicks, Week 6 (Defensive)
- 2023: S Cam Bynum, Week 7 (Defensive)
- 2023: QB Josh Dobbs, Week 9 (Offensive)
- 2023: ILB Ivan Pace Jr., Week 14 (Defensive)
- 2024: EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Week 3 (Defensive)
- 2024: QB Sam Darnold, Week 14 (Offensive)
- 2024: EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, Week 16 (Defensive)
- 2025: QB J.J. McCarthy, Week 1 (Offensive)
- 2025: CB Isaiah Rodgers, Week 3 (Defensive)
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