Minnesota Vikings have flipped the script on something that has haunted the team for years
One of the biggest flaws with the Minnesota Vikings has been rectified in the way everyone called for post Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Despite having a 43-25 regular-season record over the past four seasons with 13 wins in 2022 and 14 wins in 2024, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
There were a multitude of factors why the Vikings chose to move from Adofo-Mensah and search for a new general manager. One of the main reasons was the lack of success in the NFL Draft. In his four NFL Drafts, Adofo-Mensah made just five selections on day two, and only two of them came in the last three years.
Minnesota Vikings finally solve their age problem
Due to the lack of success in the NFL Draft, Adofo-Mensah had to pivot hard to free agency. That immediately raises the age of your team, as the youngest unrestricted free agents are 25-26 years old, while most of them are 28 or older.
In 2024, the Vikings had the second-oldest team after final cuts, and they improved to just eighth-oldest last season. After the NFL Draft this year, albeit before final cuts, the Vikings have improved significantly. As of right now, the Vikings have the seventh-youngest team.
Having nine draft picks is a major reason why things have shifted, and that comes with the Vikings taking older players in this class. Caleb Banks is 23 years old after spending five years in college, and that in itself is a shift for the Vikings. Even so, adding nine players who are that young is a major factor in the age of the team being so low.
Plus, the likes of Harrison Smith, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave having been released, along with the retirements of C.J. Ham and Adam Thielen, are a major factor in that overall age going down as much as it has.
Now, the Vikings still need at least one more NFL Draft class to fully invigorate this roster with the youth it needs. However, this shift is a much-needed one for the future of the Vikings.