Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Approach to the NFL Draft: A Deep Dive into His Strategy

Evaluating the Draft Strategy of Minnesota Vikings GM Since taking over as the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown both strengths and weaknesses in the NFL Draft. While some of his picks have been valuable additions to the roster, the 2022 draft remains a significant blemish on his record. With four selections in the top 66 picks, only one player—linebacker Brian Asamoah—remains with the team, and he is primarily a special teams contributor.

Over the past two drafts, Adofo-Mensah has refined his approach, and with enough data now available, patterns are emerging in his decision-making process. This analysis will explore his draft history, trade tendencies, and the key themes that define his approach.

Adofo-Mensah’s First-Round Draft History A three-year window is typically required to fully assess a draft class, but even without waiting for long-term results, certain trends in Adofo-Mensah’s first-round selections are evident. The Vikings have made four first-round picks under his leadership:

• 2022: S Lewis Cine (32nd overall)
• 2023: WR Jordan Addison (23rd overall)
• 2024: QB J.J. McCarthy (10th overall), EDGE Dallas Turner (17th overall)

Adofo-Mensah has demonstrated a consistent willingness to trade first-round picks. Of these selections, only one—Addison—was the team’s original draft slot. His strategy has included moving both up and down the board to find what he perceives as value, though the results have been mixed.

Trading Philosophy: A Search for Market Advantages There is little consistency in how Adofo-Mensah has approached trades. He has only won on the analytical trade charts once but has come out ahead on standard trade charts twice. The trade with the New York Jets technically lost value across all trade charts but was negligible considering it was for a quarterback.

Adofo-Mensah’s draft history suggests that he will continue seeking market advantages, making his approach to trading unpredictable but always rooted in calculated risk. His background in analytics suggests he values flexibility and maneuverability over traditional draft positioning.

Key Trends in Adofo-Mensah’s Drafting Strategy Examining his draft decisions more closely reveals a few recurring themes in how he selects players.

Prioritizing Power Four Conference Players Adofo-Mensah has overwhelmingly targeted players from Power Four conferences. Of the 22 draft picks he has made, only two have come from outside these schools:

• 2023: RB DeWayne McBride (UAB, seventh round)
• 2024: DT Levi Drake Rodriguez (Texas A&M Commerce, seventh round)

Even in later rounds, he has generally stuck to drafting from high-level collegiate programs. His preference for players from top-tier schools aligns with the philosophy of his mentor in Cleveland, Andrew Berry, who also values prospects competing at the highest level in college football.

Drafting Young Talent for Long-Term Value One of the most apparent trends in Adofo-Mensah’s draft strategy is his preference for younger players. The reasoning behind this is simple: younger draftees provide more years of prime performance and allow for better long-term contract flexibility.

Among first-round picks, only Lewis Cine was older than 22 on draft day (22.6 years old). By contrast, Addison, McCarthy, and Turner were all around 21.25 years old at the time of selection. This means they will be eligible for extensions at 24, potentially allowing the Vikings to secure them through their prime years.

While Adofo-Mensah has been more lenient on age in later rounds, the emphasis on younger players early in the draft is a significant part of his roster-building philosophy.

Emphasizing Movement Skills and Athleticism Another defining characteristic of Adofo-Mensah’s first-round selections is elite movement skills, particularly in speed and agility metrics:

• Lewis Cine: 98.8th percentile 40-yard dash, 99.8th percentile 10-yard split
• Dallas Turner: 99.7th percentile 40-yard dash, 90.3rd percentile 10-yard split
• J.J. McCarthy: 96th percentile three-cone drill, 82.9th percentile short shuttle
• Jordan Addison: Solid but not elite athletic scores, yet exceptional movement skills on tape

Adofo-Mensah values explosiveness, acceleration, and agility, particularly for defensive players and skill positions. Even when a player does not test as an elite athlete, like Addison, he has demonstrated excellent movement abilities on film, making him a desirable pick.

How These Trends Shape the Vikings’ Future Draft Strategy With these established tendencies, we can make educated guesses about Adofo-Mensah’s future draft plans. The Vikings are likely to continue prioritizing young, highly athletic prospects from Power Four schools, particularly in the early rounds. They will also remain aggressive in trading up or down, depending on where they see value in the draft.

While his 2022 draft remains a point of criticism, Adofo-Mensah’s approach has evolved, showing a greater focus on elite traits and long-term roster construction. The upcoming drafts will determine whether this method yields the sustained success the Vikings need to compete at the highest level.