Minnesota Vikings would be wise to avoid one thing in the NFL Draft, as it cost Kwesi Adofo-Mensah his job
It’s a simple element that could be overlooked.
The NFL Draft is now four weeks away, and the strategy for the Minnesota Vikings has yet to be determined.
Through the first 12 weeks of the year, cornerback and safety have been far and away the most prioritized positions in NFL mock drafts, and the top two players have been Clemson Tigers cornerback Avieon Terrell and Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman.
Vikings would be wise to avoid trading up in the NFL Draft
One player many among the fanbase have been targeting is Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love. He is arguably the best player in the entire class and is likely going to go in the top five. Even so, Love is a running back and he could end up falling down the board, even in this class.
That has led to discussions about the Vikings packaging up multiple draft picks for him. A trade-up could get expensive for the Vikings if they were to make that move.
| Team | Capital Given Up | Value | Capital Received | Value |
| Chiefs | 18, 49 | 405 | 9 | 387 |
| Bengals | 18, 82, 97 | 379 | 10 | 369 |
| Dolphins | 18, 49 | 405 | 11, 94 | 399 |
| Cowboys | 18, 82, 163 | 351 | 12 | 347 |
| Rams | 18, 82 | 341 | 13 | 336 |
| Ravens | 18, 97 | 325 | 14 | 325 |
| Buccaneers | 18, 97 | 325 | 15, 155 | 326 |
| Jets | 18, 97 | 325 | 16, 140 | 320 |
| Lions | 18, 163 | 297 | 17 | 296 |
If it’s just one or two spots, the price won’t be that high, but to get into range to select Love, it could be massive. Getting up into the top 10 will at the bare minimum cost two picks on day two, and possibly a second. For a team that has a lot of needs on the roster, especially in terms of depth, that’s not exactly a great idea.
It’s even less of a good idea when you consider why former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired. Yes, his 2022 NFL Draft class didn’t work out, and he got blamed for both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones leaving this past offseason. The reality of why he was fired was the lack of overall success in the NFL Draft, mainly the lack of selections.
He traded up three times with 2024 NFL Draft picks, and, in turn, gave up three picks on day two. In fact, he selected on day two just two times over his final three years as general manager, and both picks were at 102nd overall (CB Mekhi Blackmon in 2023 and WR Tai Felton in 2025). Missing out on five potential starters due to trading those picks away is the main reason he lost his job. Those assets would have been huge in developing the depth of this team. Yes, they ended up with good players in T.J. Hockenson and Dallas Turner, but imagine if they had a running back, safety, and defensive lineman to add to the roster.
Look, Love would be a great player for the Vikings. However, trading up for him or going that far for another player could have them falling into the same trap.